


You Make Every Day Feel Like It's Christmas

by allmylovesatonce



Category: Red White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston
Genre: Hallmark Style, M/M, snowflake exchange
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:07:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 25,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28308003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allmylovesatonce/pseuds/allmylovesatonce
Summary: Burned out on work, Alex goes to visit June who is on assignment in a sleepy Vermont town called Snow's Landing. June is determined for him to see where she's been living for the last six months and to love it as much as she does. The most intriguing part of it all is June's best friend there, a man named Henry, that Alex believed was a jerk at first but is starting to discover a new side of as they spend more time together.My contribution to the snowflake exchange!
Relationships: Alex Claremont-Diaz/Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor
Comments: 40
Kudos: 111
Collections: The Firstprince Secret Snowflake Exchange





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Nousernamesleft27](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nousernamesleft27/gifts).



> Hello there! This is a gift for nousernamesleft27!! I hope you enjoy it! And I hope the rest of you do too!

Alex stands with his hands clasped in front of him, trying desperately not to bounce on the balls of his feet. As usual, his boss is long-winded when it would take him two seconds to just announce who is getting the promotion. 

He knows he worked his ass off for this and he knows it should go to him. But still, he’s nervous. The competition has been — well,  _ stiff  _ isn’t really the right word for it, but it’s been intense. The lead up to the promotion has led to a lot of sideways glances and distrusting coworkers. Alex hasn’t spoken to anyone at work outside of necessity and it’s all leading up to this. 

“Now, I’m sure you don’t want to hear me ramble on for hours,” his boss says.  _ You’re damn right I don’t,  _ Alex thinks. “So I’ll get to the exciting news of the day. The committee has decided on who will be our next partner at this practice. We are very excited and happy to have this person become a more influential member at this practice. Looking back on their performance, it was clear to the committee who deserves this role. So, let’s all put our hands together and offer a hearty congratulations to…” Alex holds his breath. Of course the bastard is still dragging it out. “Hunter!” 

Alex deflates as he watches Hunter walk over and shake Mr. Beaufort’s hand. He can only hope his poker face is well intact. Not really caring what his bosses think right now, Alex pulls out his phone and texts Nora. 

**Drinks. Tonight @ 7:00. No excuses.**

As usual, it only takes a few seconds for her to text back. 

**Oh no. I’ll be there.**

He gets there at 6:30 and is deep into his second whiskey by the time that Nora arrives. “Hey, buddy,” she says nervously. “How’s it going?” 

“Not great.” 

“Yeah, I can see that.” She sits on the stool next to him and waves for the bartender. “So…” 

“I didn’t get the promotion.” 

She rubs a hand over his shoulderblades, giving him a sympathetic look. “That’s bullshit.” 

“It is.” 

“Who got it?” 

“That asshole, Hunter.” 

Nora scrunches her nose in disgust. “That asshole?” Alex nods glumly. “Why would they give it to him over you? You work your ass off for that place.” 

“Beats me.” 

“So, what are you doing to do?” 

“What can I do? I guess I have to go back and face them all and keep working my ass off even though it doesn’t matter.” 

Nora takes a sip of her drink and watches him. “You could take your very impressive resume somewhere else. You could take a break.” 

Alex scoffs. “What would I even do with a break?” He finishes his second drink and signals for a third. It’s maybe a bad decision, but it’s already in action. 

“You could go visit June.” 

He scoffs again. “You think I want to go to some tiny little Vermont town?” Nora just stares at him. “No, I don’t need that.” 

“You could go for Christmas.” 

He watches her. “Is this your way of needing a travel buddy? I know you miss June.” 

Nora laughs and nods. “I wish I could. Sadly, I’ll be working.” 

He frowns. “You don’t get Christmas off?” 

“Well, Hanukkah and Christmas don’t overlap this year and I asked off all 8 days off of work. So, they’re having me work Christmas.” 

“Is that legal?” 

Nora shrugs. “Maybe? I guess? I mean they let me take off the holiday that I observe, so...” She waves off his question. “Anyway, maybe getting away is what you need? June would love to see you. You could take a few weeks off and let that place see how it runs into the ground without you. And go spend some time up north where it’s snowy and easy.” 

“You mean in the town with the stupidest name in the country? I mean who names a town  _ Snow Drifts _ ?” 

She snorts. “I believe it’s Snow’s Landing.” 

“That’s maybe worse,” Alex says, giving her a look.

She shakes her head and turns back to her drink. They sit in silence for a moment, Nora tapping out something on her phone and Alex brooding. Suddenly, his phone starts ringing. 

“June, hey. We were just talking about you,” he says, looking over at Nora. She’s got a weird smirk on her face. 

“You’re coming to Vermont?!” Her voice is nearly a shriek. 

“What?” 

“Nora texted me and told me you want to come to Vermont for a few weeks but you weren’t sure if I had the time. Of course I have the time. It would be so much fun to have you up here!” 

Alex glares at Nora and she just cackles. “Well great. Then I guess I’ll book the trip.” He shakes his head at her as she continues to laugh. 

“Alex, you’ll love it here. I know you love the big city, but this town is so quaint and fun. It’ll be a nice break for you.” 

He sighs. “I hope so. I guess I’ll see you soon.” 

She screeches in his ear. “I can’t wait!” 

“Me either, Bug.” There’s a part of him that really means it. As he hangs up, he looks over at Nora again. “Are you serious?” 

Nora hums to herself. “How fun it’ll be for you to spend your holiday with your sister. That’s going to be a better distraction from the unfulfilling job at your firm than working harder and spending Christmas basically alone.” 

“I thought I’d spend it with you.” 

“Need I remind you that I’m working?” 

He rolls his eyes. “I guess it’s set then, huh.” 

“I don’t see June letting you back out.” 

Alex drinks the start of his third whiskey and narrows his eyes at Nora. “Sometimes you're a bit  _ too  _ diabolical.” 

She grins and raises a glass to him. “Thanks!” 

It’s a bit easier than he’d like to get a few weeks off work. With the amount of hustle he’s put in, his supervisor is fine with Alex taking off. “Your cases are closed and you’ve been working your ass off. We’ll see you in the new year.” 

“Excuse me?” Alex asks. Sure, he never uses his sick leave or vacation and so he has an astonishing amount left, but he can’t believe it’s just being suggested.

With the look that Alex gets from his supervisor, he thinks he’s being pitied for not getting the promotion. “No one’s really going to be working in the next few weeks, let’s be real.” 

He side-eyes him, but Alex nods and accepts it. That day at work, he buys his plane and train ticket. 

**It’s official. I’ll be there on Saturday.**

June’s reply is simply:  **YAAAAAAAYYYYY!!!!**

Alex laughs at his phone and weirdly, starts to get excited for this trip. It may not have been his idea, but he’s coming around to it. 

It’s not a very long flight from New York to the Burlington airport and then a short train ride to the middle of nowhere. Well, to Snow’s Landing. Even if he’s looking forward to the trip, he’s still annoyed by the name. It would be like if someone changed the name of New York City to Pigeon Plaza. It’s just dumb. 

He mentally rants about that for the last few minutes of his train ride before they pull into the station. Once he gets off the train and walks into the station, he sees June waiting for him with a big sign. He shakes his head with a smile and walks toward her. She immediately wraps him in a big hug. “I’m so glad you’re here,” she says. 

“Me too.” He’s not sure whether it’s a lie or not. 

June takes his suitcase and drags him out of the train station. Alex looks around the town as they walk and it looks as idyllic and small town as you’d expect it to. It’s almost irritating except for how charming it starts to be the further into town they walk. June’s talking the whole way, telling him about the things she’s discovered since moving there almost six months ago. He wants to ask her when she’s moving back to New York with him and Nora, but he bites his tongue because she seems happy to prattle on about the town. 

“So is this snow real?” Alex gestures to the snow lining the streets, having been plowed recently. June gives him a weird look. “I mean, it’s a place called ‘Snow’s Landing’ for crying out loud. I didn’t know if they had to have snow on the ground year round.” 

June rolls her eyes at him. “Never occurred to you that it’s  _ December  _ in  _ Vermont _ by any chance?” Alex laughs and June shakes her head at him. “I know you look down on this place, or at least you did when I told you I was moving here for a story.” 

“I do, but realistically, I think I’d look down on any town that took you away from New York.” 

She smiles and pats his arm. “I miss you too, little brother.” 

“You know I hate when you call me that.” 

“Itty bitty, tiny baby brother,” she says, laughing madly. 

Alex shakes his head at her and scoffs. “I’m going to get back on the train.” 

She grabs his arm tightly and says, “Like hell! I’m keeping you here until you like this place, damnit!” 

“You really love it here, huh?” 

June wraps her arm around his shoulders. “Honestly, I came here for a story, expected to write it quickly and get the hell out of here, but yeah, I really do love it here. It’s a fun little place with some of the kindest people I’ve ever met.” 

“Whoa, including me and Nora?” 

She laughs loudly. “Unfortunately, yes.” 

“Well, I guess I’m excited to see what it’s all about. Show me how wonderful Snow’s Landing is.” 

“Get ready for three weeks of Christmas fun!” She looks over at him as they walk. “I can’t believe you’re here for three weeks.” 

“Honestly, I can’t either. But I guess I needed a break, so…” 

“This is the perfect place to take a break.” She stops them in front of an old-timey looking hotel. “This is where I’m staying.” 

“For the past six months?” 

“Well, there aren’t a ton of people who stay, but Beverly also has a few rooms dedicated to long term residents.” 

“You live in a hotel?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Like on  _ Schitt’s Creek _ ?” 

June laughs. “Not totally like that, because I don’t own the town, but sort of.” 

“It would be really cool if you did own the town, though. Then you could change the name to June’s Landing.” 

“I don’t think I’m that narcissistic.” 

“Too bad.” 

She holds open the door and Alex walks in. It’s exactly like he expected it to look. Dated wallpaper, old (yet somehow almost comfortable) looking furniture. It fits the bill for a hotel built a long time ago. “Hi, Beverly! This is my brother, Alex. He’s going to be staying with me for a few weeks.” 

“Oh how lovely!” Alex turns around and sees the old woman sitting behind the desk. She looks friendly, but he also wonders if she was alive when the hotel itself was built. “Welcome to Snow’s Landing, young man.” 

Yep, she’s also exactly as he expected. “Thank you,” he says politely in reply. “I’m excited to see the town my sister has been raving about.” 

He follows June up the stairs and to her room. Once he’s closed the door, she says, “I’m proud of you.” 

“What for?” 

“For being polite. I know how skeptical you are of this place, but you were very nice to Beverly.” 

Alex stares at her for a long moment. “I’m not an asshole, June. I have basic table manners at the very least.” 

She laughs and wraps her arm around his shoulder. “Well, I’m glad New York hasn’t hardened your manners.” 

“So, what are we going to do first?”

June grimaces. “Actually, I have a meeting.” 

“Are you serious?” 

“It’s an interview! With the  _ mayor _ ! I can’t miss it.” 

Alex glares at her for a beat. “Gee, I guess I’m glad you even deigned to pick me up at the train station with the level of grandiosity you’ve reached.  _ Interviewing the mayor of Snow’s Landing?  _ Gasp!” 

“Did you just  _ say  _ gasp? You’re an idiot.” 

“What am I supposed to do without you?” Alex looks around the rather small “suite” that June’s been living in. “Stay in here?” 

“Please don’t. I’m sure you’d wreck it in two minutes flat. No, you should go wander around town. Have you eaten? There’s a great diner two blocks from here. I’ll point it out to you on my way to my meeting.” 

Alex chuckles. “ _ Of course  _ there’s a diner. What small town would be complete without one?” 

“Stop mocking everything about this place,” June pleads. “I think if you actually gave it a chance, you’d find it as charming as I do.” 

“We’ll see.” 

“Look,” June says, fixing him with one of her classic older sister looks. “I know you’re only here because Nora backed you into a corner and you didn’t think you could tell me no, but I also want you to have a good time. Alex, you deserve a fucking break. And you’re not going to actually enjoy your break if you’re just scoffing at everything in sight.” 

He takes a deep breath and nods slowly. June being right is the worst. Next, she’ll make him  _ admit  _ that she’s right and he definitely doesn’t want to do that. “Okay, I’ll try.” 

A bright smile crosses her face. “Great. Thank you. Now, let’s get out of here.” 

“Is that what you’re wearing to interview the mayor?” Alex asks, pointing at her dress. As she looks down, he moves his hand up, booping her nose. June glares at him. “Didn’t you miss your little brother?” 

“I can’t think of why right now.” 

He puts his arm around her shoulder and steers her from the room. “Let’s just go.” 

June and Alex part ways outside the hotel as she points him in the direction of the diner. As much as Alex hates it, this town is fairly charming. He looks at the older style buildings, covered in a fine layer of snow and he hates how picturesque it looks. Hates, but also appreciates. The people he passes on the sidewalk are far cheerier than New Yorkers. They nod to him, smile at him, or say hello. Alex is thrown off at first, but is almost used to it by the time he gets down the street to the diner. 

He walks into the warm diner and it’s a relief from the cold, if nothing else. Immediately, his ears are assaulted by a fairly loud jukebox playing over in the corner. It’s some 60’s song he vaguely recognizes. Somehow, it all fits the bill. He looks around and takes in the 50’s style uniforms and the continued greeting of everyone that passes by. It’s certainly different, but Alex is surprised that he doesn’t hate it. 

There’s a side of the bar that he sees where he thinks he could hide fairly well. There’s only one man sitting over there and thankfully a few seats between him and the next person. Alex walks over to the short side of the bar and sits on the last stool before it curves off to the long side. 

He hasn’t been seated for a full minute when the man next to him speaks. “Excuse me,” he says, leaning toward Alex. Looking over, Alex is taken aback by the British accent swirling off this man’s tongue. He can’t help but wonder what this man is doing here. Perhaps he can tell that Alex is an outsider as well. Alex nods with a polite smile on his face, encouraging him to continue. “Could you sit somewhere else?” 

“What?” Alex cries. This is not exactly what he was expecting. 

“Look, I have a standing deal with the owner, Roberta.” Alex follows his eyes and sees a woman who must be Roberta standing over chatting with some diners at a table. “She allows me to take up this side of the bar so that I can spread out and write. So, please, can you go sit somewhere else. There are plenty of other seats.” 

Alex gapes at him. “Are you being fucking serious?” 

The man huffs out a sigh. “It’s nothing against you personally, this is just my system, all right?” 

“Wow, sure, whatever, man. To be clear, I wasn’t sitting next to you to start up a conversation or whatever. And here I thought people in small towns were supposed to be  _ friendly.  _ Guess I was misinformed.” Alex stands up and scoffs at him, walking to the other end of the bar where he plants down and glares at the man. He looks up and catches Alex’s eyes on him, but Alex doesn’t look away. Neither does this man at first. Finally, his cheeks a bit red, he looks down at his notebook. 

The owner steps behind the bar and walks over to where Alex sits. “Hello, there. Welcome to The Diner. Is there something I can get for you?” 

Alex has half a mind to tell her that he would love for the asshole Brit to be tossed out on his ass, but he doesn’t. Instead, he plasters on a smile and turns on his people pleasing side. “What would you say is the best thing on this menu?” 

A wide grin spreads on Roberta’s face. “Well, I’m pretty partial to the patty melt. The mac and cheese is quite good too. Although, some people really love the chili. I may be a bit biased, but I don’t think the chef can make anything bad.” 

“How are you biased about the chef?” Alex asks. 

She turns and glances back at the window to the kitchen before looking back at Alex. “He’s my husband,” she stage-whispers. Alex laughs and she joins in. “You’re not from around here, are you?” 

“No, I’m not,” he replies. “My sister has been living here, though. I’m here to visit.” 

“Who’s your sister then?” 

“June Claremont-Diaz.” 

“Oh  _ June _ ! Oh, we just love June. She’s such a wonderful lady. You’re very lucky to have her as a sister.” 

Alex smiles. “Yeah, she’s gotten better as she gets older,” he teases. 

“And what’s your name?” 

“I’m Alex.” 

Roberta nods to him with a bright smile. “Well, Alex, welcome to Snow’s Landing. Whatever you want to eat is on the house.” 

Alex’s eyebrows shoot up. “Oh. Well, in that case, I guess I’ll have one of everything,” he says with a laugh. It has his desired effect. Roberta throws her head back and laughs. “Dealer’s choice,” he adds. 

She takes his menu from him, still smiling. “Ooh, this’ll be fun. Surprise lunch coming right up.” 

As Roberta walks over to the window, Alex watches her go, his eyes drifting slightly at the rude man on the other side of the bar. They’re staring at each other again. Alex has half a mind to say something, but he doesn’t. He just gives him an unimpressed look and pulls out his phone. 

Alex takes the time to text Nora and let her know that he made it. She immediately replies with 10 different gifs of snow and says:  **Have fun. Give June a kiss for me.**

He wrinkles his nose at the last part. 

**I think that’s illegal.**

**You’re the lawyer. You should just know these things.**

The two of them continue to text back and forth as Nora wants to know more about the town that stole June from them. He replies quickly and so does she. It must not be a very busy day at the office. He’s not sure how much time has passed, but when he looks up at his surroundings, his eyes first land on the guy from before. He is watching him, but as Alex looks up, his eyes flit back down to his notebook. With a petty sense of satisfaction, Alex realizes he must not be getting much writing done. 

Does that make him an asshole? Maybe. Does he feel like it’s warranted? Yes. 

Roberta walks back over and sets a plate down in front of him. His mouth waters instantly at the sight. Meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy and green beans. A man walks up behind her and reaches around to put a chocolate milkshake on the bar as well. “Welcome to Snow’s Landing,” the man says with a kind smile before walking back to the kitchen. 

“Wow, this looks amazing,” Alex says, staring at it in awe. 

“I hope it tastes amazing too.” They share a laugh and she excuses herself to let him eat. 

He can focus on nothing else but the delicious food on his plate. Damn, he’ll have to admit to June that she was right. But it’s worth it. 

Roberta comes back over to chat for a bit as he’s finishing up his plate before he turns to the shake. She asks if he’s from New York, and as usual, he gets carried away talking about his life back home. He’s not sure how long he’s been chatting with her when June walks in and seats herself next to Alex. 

“You’re still here,” she comments. “That’s a good sign.” 

“I stuffed him full of food.” 

June laughs. “That’s the best way to mellow him out.” 

Alex glares at his sister as he sips his milkshake. She just shrugs. Roberta and June get to talking and Alex just sits and listens. At some point, he looks past Roberta to see the other side of the bar empty. He’s almost surprised to realize that he didn’t notice the other guy leaving. Probably for the best. He’d have been tempted to say something as he walked by. 

About ten minutes later, June nudges him and tells him it’s time to go. They say goodbye to Roberta and Alex promises he’ll be back. June just laughs and drags him out of the diner in a hurry. Her hand stays on his arm as she takes off down the street. 

“Where are we going, Bug?” 

“We have somewhere to be.” 

“Where?” 

“We’re going to the library. I have a friend I want you to meet.” Alex watches June as they walk, wondering how many stops she’s pulling out. Is her plan for the next three weeks to hit him repeatedly with reasons to love the town? He wouldn’t really put it past her. 


	2. Chapter 2

June puts a finger to her lips as they walk into the library. Alex glares at her. She points to the front where it looks like a children’s storytime is going on. He nods at June, understanding her gesture. They stand at the back with the parents and watch as the kids sit in a semi-circle around the reader, all captivated. Alex is too focused on taking in the little library before he really focuses on anything else. 

A British accent catches his ears and he looks back at the reader who’s entertaining the kids. He’s smiling at them so happily as he reads them some story about Santa. Alex immediately frowns. It’s the asshole from the diner. He glances around to see the parents watching contentedly, like they don’t know the guy with their kids is a total jerk. Even June has an amused look on her face. Alex wants to stomp out and meet her back at the hotel. No one she’s going to introduce him to is worth sitting and listening to that dick from before. 

June glances over at him and looks concerned. She shakes her head and turns back to the front. He’s fairly certain he’ll hear about whatever is on her mind later. 

The sound of applause startles Alex from his plans to run away. A librarian steps forward and thanks Henry for his time today and reminds the parents that he’ll be back again next weekend. So apparently the asshole’s name is Henry. Alex rolls his eyes as the parents rush forward to shake hands with him and talk to him. 

His sister turns to him, apparently fine with talking now. “What’s with your face?” 

“Huh? Nothing.” 

“Okay,” she says, clearly not believing him. “Anyway, I brought you here to meet my friend, Henry.” 

Alex turns on her. “That guy is your friend?” Every word is dripping with disdain. 

June stares at him in confusion. “Yes, he is. You’ve been here for a matter of hours. What do you know about him?” 

“I know that he’s a dick!” Alex maybe says it a bit too loudly. There’s a kid right next to them who stares up at Alex. He hisses a breath through his teeth as June glares at him. “A Rick. I said he was a Rick. A real Richard.” Alex turns to June with a grin on his face. “Hey, what do you know? That still works.” 

She rolls her eyes at him. “Alex, you don’t even know him. He’s a great guy. He’s been my best friend here.” 

“Wow. Don’t tell Nora. She’ll fly in here to stomp him out. On second thought, maybe you should tell her.” 

June just stares at Alex with an unimpressed expression. “In the mere hours that you’ve been here, what could Henry even have done?” 

“He was an —” Alex glances around and drops his voice “ — an asshole to me at the diner.” 

“What did he do?” Alex can’t believe his own sister doesn’t believe him. 

“I sat down — not even right next to him — and he asked me to move!” 

“Was he writing?” 

Alex scoffs and rolls his eyes at June. “Yes, but how should I know that spot was reserved? He was still an asshole as he asked me to move.” 

“And were you the embodiment of friendliness?” Alex glares at her. “Thought so.” 

“I cannot believe you right now. You’ve known me my whole life and you’re taking the side of this —” 

“Henry!” June calls, interrupting Alex and flashing him wide eyes. Alex turns around and looks at the guy, a less than impressed expression on his face. “Henry, I want you to meet my brother, Alex.” 

Henry clearly registers Alex and looks a bit nervous. He sticks a hand out for a shake anyway. Alex only returns it because June is standing right there. “Er, yes, I think we’ve already met.” 

Alex flashes him a fake grin. “Yes, I was telling my sister that.” 

June huffs and glares at him. Henry takes his hand back and runs it through his hair, standing awkwardly. “I do apologize about being a bit rude earlier. I’ve just been trying to meet some personal deadlines and…” 

“And I was in your way?” 

“Alex,” June scolds. 

Henry holds a hand out to her. “No, I was not as welcoming as I could have been. I’m sorry. I had no idea you were June’s brother.” 

“Oh, got it,” Alex says. “So you’re nice to the relatives of your friends, but a jerk to strangers.” 

“Dear god, Alex.” 

Henry has a near panicked look on his face. Quickly, he clears his throat and schools his expression. “As I said, I apologize.” 

“Don’t worry about Alex,” June says with a wave of her hand. “He’s an asshole to everyone. It’s basically a personality trait in New York.” Alex opens his mouth to say something and June smacks him before he can. “Anyway, why don’t we head out of here?” 

June wraps one arm around Alex’s shoulder and another around Henry’s once they’re out of the library. They immediately have to part to let someone by on the sidewalk, but June assumes the same pose once they’ve passed. 

“So what all do you have on your list to show Alex?” Henry asks. 

“Well, I was thinking we’d go to the Christmas tree farm first.” 

“That’s a splendid choice. I heard Brenda made more of her spiced apple cider.” 

“Oh my god, I’ve been browsing trees since November just for that stuff,” June sighs. “It’s so good.” She turns to Alex. “I’m serious, Alex, it’s the best cider I’ve ever had.” 

Alex looks over at June and Henry’s faces. “Is it  _ hard  _ cider?” 

June drops her arms and smacks his arm. “No.” 

“You could easily take care of that though. There’s conveniently a liquor store on one side of the Christmas tree farm,” Henry offers. “I’m pretty sure they sell flasks as well.” 

Alex glances at him, wondering if he’s just sucking up because June’s there or if he actually is as nice as June swears. Thus far, Alex hasn’t been all that impressed. 

“So why are we going to the Christmas tree farm?” Alex asks. 

June gives him a look. “Because we need a Christmas tree, idiot.” 

Henry chokes back a laugh on the other side of June. Alex glares at him. “Something funny?” 

“Alex.” June has a glare for him. He ignores her, staring down Henry instead. 

An apologetic look crosses Henry’s face and he waves a hand. “I wasn’t laughing at you, just amused by the fact that your older sister sounds a lot like  _ my  _ older sister. That’s all.” 

Alex isn’t quite sure if he believes Henry or not. He replies with a simple nod. June rolls her eyes and trudges ahead of them. He listens to June and Henry make conversation as they walk to this tree place. Alex saw the edge of the forest as he rode in on the train. He wonders if the tree farm is just the forest. Of course, he’s wrong as they approach a chain link fence surrounding what looks like it was originally just a parking lot. Now it’s covered in dozens upon dozens of Christmas trees. 

June glances over at him and gestures for him to catch up. Alex walks forward and wraps his arm around her shoulders. For a moment, it feels like Christmas always used to — Alex and June having fun, even if their parents were being  _ a lot.  _ He really has missed his sister while she’s been here. Glancing over at Henry, he decides it won’t be the worst thing in the world to try and play nice with his sister’s friend if it means he gets to have a good time with June. 

They walk deeper into the trees and Alex stops to take a deep inhale through his nose. There’s no smell like fresh Christmas trees. He and June walk in opposite directions, down rows of trees, trying to find the best one. It had only been a few minutes that Alex had been in June’s room, but he wonders if there will be enough room for a tree. He wasn’t even sure if he saw a bathroom in there. Shrugging, he keeps looking anyway. The few Christmases where he didn’t have a tree were always a bit sad. They can navigate around a tree in a small room if need be. 

At the end of his second row of trees, Alex runs into Henry. He stops just short of  _ actually  _ running into him. Henry smiles at him. “Find any you like?” 

Alex is still trying to figure this guy out. Is it really possible that the way he acted at the diner was out of character? June will probably spend the whole time scolding him if he’s a jerk to Henry, even if it’s warranted. He clears his throat and nods. “Yeah, there are some good thick ones.” 

“Not a Charlie Brown Christmas tree fan?” Henry asks with a laugh. 

He stares at Henry for a moment. For whatever reason, he feels surprised that this British guy knows Charlie Brown. “Not really,” he says after a beat. “I like a lush tree.” 

“There are some gorgeous ones here,” Henry says, turning to look down another row. 

“So how did you and June meet?” Alex asks, walking down another row, Henry in his wake. 

“Er, we are both staying at Beverly’s hotel. June got there about two months before I did. She was more than happy to take me under her wing, which I very much appreciated.” 

“She’s good at that.” 

“She really is. You must miss her.” 

Alex glances back at him and then back to the trees around him. “Yeah, I do. My friend, Nora, and I really do.” 

“Oh, I’ve heard a lot about Nora. She seems like fun.” 

He can’t help but laugh. “She’s fun all right.” Alex shakes his head. “She’s really the only reason I’m here.” He doesn’t really know why he’s confessing this to Henry of all people. 

“What do you mean?” 

“She texted June behind my back and said I was thinking about coming. So then June called me like it was a done deal. Nora is a bit too devious sometimes.” 

Henry chuckles, reaching out to touch a branch of a tree. “I know June’s really excited you’re here, if that helps. I’m sure this isn’t exactly what you had in mind and I know it must be quite different from New York City, but June hasn’t been able to stop talking about you coming since you talked.” 

Alex glances over, a touched expression on his face. “Thanks. I’m glad to hear that. It’s nice to get to see her.” He glances down the row and sees his sister talking to some person she knows. 

“I know it’s not New York, but Snow’s Landing can be fun in its own way,” Henry offers. 

Flashing him a dubious look, Alex keeps on walking. Henry breathes out a laugh and follows behind him still. Alex wonders why Henry is following him and not June, his supposed best friend. Maybe June pushed him to come over here and become friends with Alex. It wouldn’t be out of character for her to do that by any means. 

“So what are you doing here?” Alex asks. 

“Helping you pick out a tree.” Henry’s looking at a particularly full tree. Alex stares at him, wondering if he really missed what Alex was asking or if he’s being purposefully evasive. The latter lines up a bit more with the Henry he met originally. 

“That one looks really good,” Alex says, reaching over and shaking it slightly like he’s seen his dad do during Christmases past. 

“I agree. Looks worthy of the Claremont-Diaz siblings.” Alex can’t stop wondering what is up with this guy. He calls June’s name instead of asking any of the questions at the tip of his tongue. They play a game of Marco Polo until she can find them. They point the tree out to her and her eyes light up. 

“It’s perfect.” 

“That’s what we thought,” Alex says. He feels magnanimous for some reason, including Henry in it. Granted, he did actually help. 

June looks between the two of them with a fond smile. “Aww, you agreed on something. I’m so glad.” 

Alex rolls his eyes and starts to walk away. “I’m going to take the ticket to the attendant.” He can hear June laughing as he walks away. 

It takes all three of them, but they carry the tree back to the hotel. Doing so was perhaps not the smartest idea. They’re each barking directions at each other, but by the end of it, they have it upstairs and in the small common area outside all of their rooms. 

“This way we’ll all get to enjoy it,” June reasons. 

“It was always going here, wasn’t it,” Alex says, calling her on it. 

She gives him a shrug and doesn’t make eye contact. That’s the answer he needs. “Fine, I got permission from Beverly to get a tree up here for Henry and I. She found the tree stand and skirt in her basement. And then if other guests come here for the holidays, they’ll get to fawn over the tree as well.” 

June stands there with her hands on her hips, looking at the tree. It’s still bare and has to let the limbs drop a bit more, before they put on ornaments, but she is so proud of it. Alex smiles watching her. 

“Maybe next week we can all decorate it together,” she suggests. Alex glances over at Henry and then back at June. He can’t help but wonder why she’s so set on making them do things together. Sure enough, June asks Henry if he’ll join them for dinner later. 

He takes one look at Alex and declines the offer. “Maybe another time. I don’t want to interrupt sibling time.” June starts to tell him he won’t be interrupting, but Henry stops her with a hand on her arm. “There’s plenty of time for me to join you another day. I’ve got more writing to get done as it is. I didn’t quite get enough done earlier.” His eyes flicker over to Alex before looking back at June. Alex wonders what the hell  _ that  _ means. 

Later that night, Alex and June are getting ready for bed when she turns to him with an awkward look. “Did I mention that the bathrooms are down the hall?” Alex glares at her, one eyebrow raised. She grits her teeth. “Apparently I did not.” 

“Does this couch actually pull out into a bed or was that also a lie?” 

She laughs. “Nope, it does pull out into a bed. You’re not totally screwed.” She grabs her bag of toiletries and walks toward the door, pointing to the right. “Boys’ bathroom is that way.” 

“There are gendered bathrooms?” June gives him a pleading look, essentially saying  _ please don’t complain about everything.  _ He rolls his eyes and walks over toward his bathroom. 

As Alex walks in, he’s not all that surprised to see Henry in there brushing his teeth. He smiles around his toothbrush in the mirror and Alex steps up to the other sink next to him. “How have y’all been living here for  _ months  _ with bathrooms not in your room?” 

“You get used to it,” Henry offers as an explanation. Alex releases a dry laugh as he puts toothpaste on his brush. 

“Sure,” he says, “just like everything else in this town, right?” 

Henry turns and looks at him. Alex flicks his eyes over to him, taking in the grey t-shirt and the plaid pajama pants hanging low on his waist. “I know you must think we’re crazy for enjoying it here when you come from the big city, but we really do.” 

Alex gives him a half-hearted nod. “You know, you never really answered my question earlier. What are you doing here?” Henry looks down at the sink, but Alex presses on anyway. “How does someone from England end up in Snow’s Landing of all places?” 

Henry turns away from the sink and for a moment, Alex thinks he’s going to just leave. Instead, he leans back against it, crossing his arms. “I was living in London, working at a job that wasn’t really good for me. Everything was just too much, too fast. I thought I needed a change,” he explains, glancing over at Alex. He feels frozen under Henry’s gaze. 

“So, I moved to Boston. I don’t know why I picked to go there, but it felt like a good place. Smaller than London and a new place with none of the emotional hang ups I had in London. But it was still...not right for me. I don’t know, everything just moved too fast. My mind couldn’t settle and I couldn’t focus on things that actually made me feel good. One day, I went on a drive —” 

“Did you stay on the right side of the road?” Alex asks with a smirk. 

“No, I killed 18 people on my way here,” Henry retorts sarcastically, giving Alex a look. “Yes, I know how to drive in the United States.” He rolls his eyes before continuing. “Anyway, I stopped here for lunch. And lunch turned into spending the night. Spending the night turned into a week and before I knew it, I was picking up the little that I had in Boston and coming back here. It was just...this was just better suited for me. I feel like I can take the time to just  _ be  _ here, whereas in London and even in Boston, I didn’t have that. It was slow enough for me to actually get to enjoy things. So, I’ve stayed here.” 

“But you’re still living in a hotel?” 

Henry shrugs. “Getting my feet under me while Beverly allows me to, I suppose.” 

“And you really love it here?” Alex asks, dubious. 

He glances over at Alex, his full gaze on him. “Yeah, I do. I feel more at home here than I expected to.” 

“Huh,” Alex tuts. “Well, I guess that’s good.” He chuckles to himself. “Plus, you have your special deal at the diner, so they must like you too.” 

With a groan, Henry leans his head back. “I am sorry about earlier.” Alex laughs. “You’ll never forget it will you?” 

“I am notoriously a grudge holder.” There’s something on Henry’s face that makes Alex continue. “But I’m sure June won’t rest until we’re best friends too.” 

A small smile crosses Henry’s face. “You might be right about that.” He picks up his things and walks toward the door. “Good night, Alex. It was really lovely meeting you today.” 

Before Alex can reply, Henry’s gone. “You too,” he says in a small voice, completely thrown off by Henry. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are maybe a few of you who saw that this was briefly posted as a complete story! Sorry for any confusion. I took some chapters down because I decided I wanted to space out my posting instead of doing one lump of it which I had to do. To the two of you that read it all and commented at the end, I appreciated those! I just changed things up a bit. 
> 
> For those of you that haven't read it all, I hope you enjoy!

The next morning, Alex walks back in from the bathroom to see June putting on her coat. “Running out already?” 

She nods. “Yep. I’ve got some more work to do.” Alex makes a bit of a face which slows her down. “I’m sorry. I know I’m leaving you alone again. But I can’t really cancel my work.” 

Alex shrugs, not wanting her to feel bad. “I’ll find something to do.” 

“There is Candy Cane Lane outside the city center,” June tells him. “Maybe we can go there this evening?” 

“Sounds like a good plan. Have a good day at work.” 

June hesitates outside the door. “You’re really not mad at me?” 

“Promise.” He crosses an x over his heart and sends her on her way. 

He’s a bit lazy in June’s absence, not really sure  _ what  _ he’ll do on his own today. Still, he’s glad to be spending time with June, so he doesn’t want to make her feel bad for being busy. After all, Nora surprised  _ both  _ of them by cornering Alex into going to Snow’s Landing. 

Eventually, he gets a bit hungry, so Alex heads down to the diner, eager to see what else is good on the menu. When he walks in, he spots Henry at his spot at the counter. His head turns slightly, noticing Alex. He waves him over and Alex shakes his head as he stops by the bar. 

“No worries, I will leave you to your writing. I’ll just sit at a table.” 

“No, please join me. I was just about to stop and eat as it is.” 

Alex watches him for a long moment, wondering if Henry just feels bad for yesterday. He seems a bit eager for Alex to join him. There’s some unsettling part of Alex that  _ wants  _ to. “Are you sure?” he asks. “I could just sit somewhere else.” 

Henry presses some button on his laptop and shuts it before turning back to Alex with a pointed look on his face. “No need to sit somewhere else.” 

A reluctant smirk crosses Alex’s face as he sits down right next to Henry. “Thanks,” he says in a small voice. 

“June working?” Alex nods. “She can be quite the busy bee.” 

Alex nods as he stares at the menu. “She always has been. When it comes to the things she’s passionate about, she’s unrelenting.” 

“I enjoy that about her,” Henry says. 

Suddenly, a thought springs to Alex’s mind. He watches Henry for a long moment, neither of them speaking. “Wait. Are you...and June…?” 

A panicked look crosses Henry’s face and he whips his head over to look at Alex. “No, no, certainly not. Not at all.” 

“I just was thinking —” 

“No, goodness. I’m actually gay.” 

Alex stares at him for another long moment before he releases a stretched out, “Oh.” 

A pained look crosses his face. Alex knows the look. The moment of wondering how the person you just came out to is going to react. He shakes his head at Henry, trying to find the right words. “Gotcha,” he says, knowing those aren’t the right words. He grimaces at how bad he’s handling this. “I’m bi.”

“Oh,” Henry says, stretching the word out in the same painfully awkward way Alex just did. The small smirk on his face tells Alex it’s purposeful. “So, anyway, no. I’m just friends with June.” 

“Good to know.” 

Henry takes a deep breath, looking away from him. “What do you have planned for today?” 

Alex shrugs, turning the menu over in his hand. “Not sure, really. This is as far as I’ve gotten.” 

“Ah.” He takes a sip of the tea in front of him before looking back at Alex. “Well, if you need any pointers, I’m happy to help. There are more fun things to do than it seems.” 

“So, you admit, it seems like a boring little town?” 

Henry rolls his eyes, grinning at him. “You’re twisting my words.” 

“Just reading between the lines.” He’s about to say more, but Roberta walks over and they both place their orders. Alex turns back to Henry when she leaves them alone again. “So, what’s your favorite thing to do in this town?” 

A contemplative look crosses Henry’s face. “Hmmm. I’ll think about that while we eat.” 

“There are just too many options?” 

Henry grins. “You’d be surprised.” 

They sit comfortably and eat, really in no rush. To Alex’s surprise, when they finish, Henry stands up with him, packing up his things and walking out with him. “Just let me drop this off at the hotel and then we’ll be off.” 

Alex slows his walking, watching Henry. “You’re coming with me?” 

Henry turns around and shrugs, looking back at him. “I thought I would. Is that all right?” 

He surprises even himself when he replies, “Yeah, that’s fine.” 

They make a quick stop at the hotel and then Henry is leading him down the street, past the diner, past the library, past the Christmas Tree lot. The first stop they make is at a coffee shop. Alex quirks an eyebrow up at him. “They have the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had.” Henry opens the door for him. “If we’re going on a proper tour, it’ll be helpful to have some warmth.” 

“Oh, so we’re going on a tour now?” 

Henry grins and shrugs. “It felt appropriate. You won’t be able to ridicule Snow’s Landing once you’ve seen more of it.” 

“Or, will I be able to critique it more accurately?” 

With a roll of his eyes, Henry steps up to the counter and orders two hot chocolates to go. Alex pulls out his wallet and Henry shoves his hand away. “Nope. If I’m going to drag you all around town, the least I can do is buy your hot chocolate.” 

Alex’s eyes linger on Henry as he puts his wallet away. “Well, I guess I won’t argue with you.” 

Once they get their hot chocolate, Alex won’t admit it, but it’s also the best he’s ever had. As they wander, Henry points various things out. The two of them walk up and down Main Street, drinking their hot chocolate and talking away. Alex feels mesmerized by Henry in a way he didn’t expect. The man has only been here a matter of months, but he’s learned so much about the town. 

Alex doesn’t really care all that much about the information he’s being given, but there’s something about Henry that is keeping his attention. His art of storytelling makes Alex wonder about the things the man is writing. More than anything, he’s just blindsided by wanting to know more about him. 

They pass the old movie theater that occasionally still runs movies — and now is showing only Christmas movies — and also a little bookstore. Alex can’t help but wonder if Henry’s frequented that shop. They pass a vet’s office and a dentist. There are a few shops all decorated for the season and a gazebo in the town square. It’s all so damn picturesque. Alex wants to find a reason to be mad about it, but he can’t. 

And all the while, Henry keeps talking, keeps Alex engaged. 

Eventually, they move away from Main Street and end up in a quaint neighborhood. The two of them walk along the sidewalk, their hot chocolate long finished, and neither of them acknowledge how odd a situation they’re in. 

Twenty-four hours ago, Alex didn’t even know Henry. 

Twenty-four hours ago, Alex didn’t even want to really be in Snow’s Landing. He just wanted to see June. 

And yet, here they are, wandering around, for hours on end. Awkward silences haven’t even interrupted them. 

When they’re looping back to Main Street, getting close to the hotel, Alex pulls him aside. “This was fun.” 

A pleased smile crosses Henry’s face. “I’m glad. And you now see the merit of Snow’s Landing?”

Alex rolls his eyes, shrugging. “Perhaps. It’s quaint.” 

“Well then I guess we’ll just have to make you see that it’s more than that. It’s a lovely place.” 

His eyes linger on Henry, on the way his eyes light up as he talks about the town. He thinks about the day they’ve spent together and how unlikely it all is. Finally, he sighs, adding something  _ very  _ important. “You have to promise me one thing.” Henry raises a brow in reply. “We’ll never tell June about this.” 

Henry frowns, looking a bit confused. “Never tell her about what?” 

Alex laughs, clapping him on the shoulder. “About us getting along. She’ll never stop making us do things together just to prove that she was right that we’d get along.” 

Henry grins, breaking into a laugh. “You may have a point. I’m not her younger brother, so I don’t have as much of an issue being right with her, but I will agree to your terms.” 

“Thanks for showing me around,” Alex tells him. Henry ducks his head in a nod. “I’ll see you later. I’m sure June will have something for us to do.” 

“Yes, that sounds incredibly likely.” 

Later that night, Alex is nearly stunned when June  _ doesn’t  _ invite Henry to go with them to see Candy Cane Lane. It’s nice though, getting to spend some time just with his sister. Even when they both lived in New York, these moments weren’t too common. While they both love Nora, she would tag along with them quite often. Neither of them ever cared, but it’s nice just the same to be just the two of them. 

The lights are bright and pretty as they walk through the neighborhood. Alex realizes as they turn onto the street that he and Henry had walked through here earlier today and he hadn’t even realized it until that moment. June had taken them down nearly the same path to get there, if slightly more direct. 

He’s a bit sad to not have the hot chocolate this time. 

June takes a ton of pictures and eventually makes him be in some of them, joining him occasionally. She laughs as she sends a few to Nora. When they’re walking back to the hotel, June asks Alex about work and he realizes that since he arrived in Snow’s Landing, he hasn’t been thinking about work  _ at all.  _

Somehow this town starts to feel like magic just because of that. 


	4. Chapter 4

Alex’s first week of being in Snow’s Landing goes by surprisingly fast. June works a lot of the time which startles Alex, but he’s proud of her for how hard she’s going after what she wants. But when June works, the only other person Alex really knows in town is Henry. Most days he’ll wander into the diner not just for a meal, but for Henry’s company as well. 

He tells himself repeatedly that he’s just not good at spending time by himself.  _ That’s  _ why he keeps seeking Henry out. 

Sometimes they don’t do much. Henry will eat with Alex until they’re finished and then Alex will let him get back to his writing. But other times, Henry suggests they do something and Alex ends up spending the day with him. 

He’ll never tell June, but he does genuinely have a good time with Henry. 

On Friday night, June drags Alex and Henry — though he suspects that Henry’s just as thrilled as June — to a concert at the square. It’s standing room only and freezing cold. Unsurprisingly, Alex decides he’s been to better concerts. And that decision comes before they even start singing. 

June failed to mention they’d be going to an  _ acapella _ Christmas concert. Alex is trying to decide the easiest way to just run away. He’s sandwiched between June and Henry, like they know that he’ll try to run. Some woman that June and Henry seem to know is passing out hot apple cider. It’s the only saving grace so far. 

When the group starts to sing, they start with “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” and segue into “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” and continue through the supposed classic Christmas songs. 

Alex glances over at June to see the gleeful look on her face. He keeps his mouth shut and turns back to the stage, hoping to find more joy out of it like his sister. They aren’t  _ horrible,  _ he decides. Acapella just isn’t his thing. 

He hears a familiar do-do-do that catches his attention. They’re doing The Drifters version of “White Christmas.” 

“Henry, did they take your request?” June asks on one side of him. Alex looks from June over to Henry. He’s grinning and nodding. 

“They take requests?” Henry nods again, his eyes on the stage. “And you requested this?” 

He gives Alex an odd look. “Why is that so strange?” 

“It’s his favorite version of “White Christmas” so of course he requested it,” June says. 

Alex nods, looking back up at the stage. “It’s mine too.”

June coughs and says nothing. Alex knows what she must be screaming inside her head. “Hmm,” Henry says. “You must have better taste than I thought.” 

With a roll of his eyes, Alex elbows him in the side. “I like it because it’s the least, well... _ white.  _ No offense to Bing Crosby.”

The concert continues on in front of them, the choir covering songs like “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” and “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear.” 

“Henry, any others you requested?” Alex asks. “Maybe “Good King Wenceslas?”” 

Henry laughs heartily, glancing over at him. “I’m more of a “I Saw Three Ships” man myself, but that’s just me.” 

Alex barks out a laugh. “Please tell me you requested that too.” 

A bashful look crosses Henry’s face. “They’ve been doing this every Friday for the last few weeks. It may have happened before.” 

Alex looks between June and Henry. “How many times have you guys been to this?” 

They exchange a guilty look. June shrugs. “What? It’s good fun! You get free cider and music and if you request songs by Tuesday, they’ll incorporate them into their show!” 

“You guys are dorks,” Alex says with a laugh. 

When the next song ends, a familiar tune starts playing. Alex glances over at June, catching her staring at him expectantly. Before the words have even started, he’s already recognized it as “Feliz Navidad.” With half a smile, he rolls his eyes at June. “You requested this, didn’t you?” 

She throws her arm around his shoulder. “You know I did.” June starts signing along and Alex can tell that she wants him to join in, but he’s not. When they reach the chorus, she hip-checks him, knocking him off balance a bit. He rights himself, staring over at her with wide eyes while she sings dramatically to him while it flows back into the second verse. 

He can feel a smile growing on his face at how excited June is. That’s what finally makes him join in. Alex calls out the “Aha!” in the middle of the second verse, joining June and singing along with her a bit loudly. Other people around them are probably bothered by it, but Henry’s just laughing, taking a picture of them acting like fools on June’s phone. 

Alex still has vivid memories of his father singing this song for them and playing the guitar each Christmas. The first Christmas after he’d moved out and lived across the country, June had been the one to carry on the tradition for Alex, even though she couldn’t play guitar. 

This moment feels a bit like that one — June trying to drag him into an old tradition even though he’s a bit older and a bit more cynical. But just like then, he’s happy to join in. 

On Saturday, June gently asks him to leave so she can get some writing done. Rolling his eyes and biting his tongue, Alex leaves her to her writing, wondering what he’s going to do in her absence. As almost expected, he finds himself sitting next to Henry at the diner, waiting for him to look up from  _ his  _ writing. 

It’s gotten to the point that Henry will let him sit there silently if he’s really trying to work. He’s not kicked Alex out of his seat since the first time they met. 

As if he’s trying to purposely frustrate Alex, he keeps typing, ignoring his presence. Alex isn’t saying anything — not wanting to disturb him — but he’s a bit bothered that Henry couldn’t even say  _ hello  _ at the very least. Glancing over at Henry, he sees a small smirk on his face. 

“You’re ignoring me on purpose, aren’t you?” 

Henry snickers. “I was trying to finish up a thought when you sat down, but then you never said anything. I just kept typing nonsense to see how long it would take you to finally speak up. A whole five minutes. I’m genuinely impressed, Alex.” 

“You’re also genuinely an asshole,” Alex says in reply. 

Henry laughs and shakes his head, pulling Alex’s menu over toward him. 

The two of them chat until Henry has to leave to go do his reading at the library. Without thinking much of it, Alex follows him there, standing at the back with the parents like he and June did last week. This time, he watches Henry, sees how he engages with the kids, how good he is with them, the smiles he shares with them, the way he tells a simple story. He’s a bit transfixed on Henry. 

Applause from the parents snaps Alex out of the Henry-shaped daze he’s in. Henry glances up at him as the kids wander back to their parents. Alex smiles in reply, shooting him a thumbs up. 

“Sorry if that was quite boring for you,” Henry says, stacking his books back on the shelf. 

“No, it was fine. I could have gone somewhere else, but I didn’t,” Alex reminds him. “You have a real knack of entertaining those kids.”

Henry smiles, ducking his head a bit. “Well, thank you.” 

There’s a silence that hangs between them as Henry gathers up his things and they walk out to the street. “So, are you going to this party tonight?” Alex asks. 

“Oh yes, quite excited about it. Is June dragging you along?” 

Alex laughs. “But of course. Oh what fun a small town Christmas party will be.” 

“I think it actually should be pretty fun,” Henry offers. “Marge threw a wonderful Halloween party. And June said her Fourth of July party was spectacular. I’m looking forward to what she does for Christmas. She used to be a party planner in Boston and retired here with her husband. They get quite excited about every holiday, let me tell you.” 

“That sounds slightly more promising.” 

When June and Alex get to the party later, he quickly realizes that the only people he really knows in Snow’s Landing are June and Henry. His sister tilts her head in the direction of their host, introducing him to Marge and her husband. They’re more than fine with having a stranger in their midst. 

June gets stopped by some other woman and Alex hangs around for about two minutes before he walks away in search of food. He winds into a dining room, sagging with relief when he sees Henry standing in front of plates piled high with food. 

“Oh, thank god.” 

Henry looks over and grins cheekily. “Happy to see me?” 

Alex rolls his eyes and grabs a plate. “I really was saying that about the food, but I guess I’m glad you’re here too. June knows freaking everyone and you’re the only other person I know in town.”

“I’m very flattered to be your default friend.” 

Alex claps him on the shoulder as he steps up next to him, eager to take one of the sandwiches in front of Henry. “You’re welcome.” 

They both load up their plates and walk from the dining room. Alex looks around at the elaborately decorated house. There are multiple Christmas trees. Peeking behind them into the kitchen, he sees there’s one in there too. Garland, poinsettias, lights, nutcrackers and ornaments are scattered throughout the house, hung on walls, mantels, bannisters, and arranged around the room. It’s beautiful, but it’s a lot. 

“They really go all out, don’t they?” Henry asks him, watching Alex’s eyes scan the room. 

“I can only imagine what Halloween must have looked like.” 

“Much spookier.” 

Alex laughs and eats some of his food. Henry stays with him, filling him in on the people they see, but never straying to talk to anyone else. Occasionally, others stop by to talk to Henry or to tell Alex how much they love June, but it’s never for very long. Alex is pretty grateful for Henry’s constant presence. 

They’re standing in a doorway, just between rooms, Henry leaning against the doorjamb and Alex standing just next to him, eagerly carrying on a conversation. An interruption comes in the form of their hostess. “Oh, Henry, would you look at that! You’re standing under the mistletoe!” 

Both of them look up and at each other. Henry’s eyes quickly shift away, glancing over at Marge. Alex notes that he’s holding his cup a bit tighter. The eggnog may be strong, but maybe not strong enough to get them through an awkward situation like this. 

Henry shakes his head at Marge. “We don’t need to do anything about that.” 

“It’s tradition,” Marge insists. “It’s bad luck if you  _ don’t  _ kiss someone you meet under the mistletoe.” 

“See, but that just takes out the whole issue of consent. And that’s quite important. I’m sure Alex would feel uncomfortable with that.” 

Marge starts to argue with Henry and Alex says, “I don’t really care. And it’ll probably shut her up.” A few other women have joined Marge in urging them to kiss. 

Henry looks briefly over at Alex before glancing back to the gaggle of people that want them to kiss. Finally, he rolls his eyes, turns suddenly to Alex, and is kissing him. 

It’s over before Alex can really even react. Henry doesn’t meet his eyes, just looks at the women and says, “Happy?” He walks away from Alex and stalks into the kitchen. Alex wouldn’t be too surprised if he was refilling his eggnog. Or getting something stronger. 

June walks over, a curious look on her face. “What did I just miss?” 

Alex shakes his head, but his sister gives him a look. “Henry and I were pressured into kissing under the mistletoe. No big deal.” 

She looks around a bit before glancing back at him. “Where’s Henry?” 

“I think he was a bit annoyed by the people who did the pressuring.” Alex points his thumb over his shoulder. “He went off that way.” 

He expects June to go find Henry, but she doesn’t. She stays and chats with Alex, telling him about the people she’s talked with at this party. Somehow by the end of the party, Alex hasn’t seen Henry again. He expects to see him in the bathroom when they’re getting ready for bed, but he’s not there either. Trying not to dwell on it, Alex tosses and turns, hoping to just fall asleep. 

At the back of his mind, he can’t help but wonder if maybe Henry was the one who didn’t want to kiss Alex. He’d tried to pass it off on him, but maybe it was the other way around. Did Alex just further pressure him into it? 

A week ago, he wouldn’t have cared to even spend time with Henry at that party, but today, he can’t help but worry that he’s done something wrong. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

Sunday, June drives Alex out to this good hiking spot outside of town. They spend a cold, but fun day together, just the two of them. Regrettably, Alex’s mind keeps drifting back to Henry. He hasn’t seen him since they kissed and he finds that odd. It’s starting to feel like Henry’s avoiding him. Confirmation comes when June says she invited Henry but he said they should just spend time as siblings. 

Monday, June is working again and Alex is left to his own devices. On normal days when he hadn’t kissed Henry over the weekend, Alex would just go find him at the diner and see what he was up to. There’s a part of him that wonders if he can do that. If Henry’s avoiding him, it’s not going to end well if Alex tries to hang out with him. 

He doesn’t know anyone else in town, so he makes up his mind to go find him. Henry is sitting at his normal spot in the diner, right on the short end of the bar. Alex sits down right at the corner where the long side meets Henry’s side. Henry glances over at Alex before looking back at his computer. Alex stares down at the menu, wondering if Henry will acknowledge him. 

“Can I ask you a question?” he says, switching to watching Henry. A nervous expression crosses Henry’s face as he turns toward Alex and nods. Part of him wants to ask Henry if he’s been avoiding him, but he doesn’t want to make him feel bad, so instead of zigging, he zags. “Does June  _ always  _ work this much?” 

Henry nearly looks relieved. He clicks a button on his computer and shuts it. “She’s been quite busy lately, I’m afraid. I’m sorry she’s been working during your time together.” 

Alex shrugs, handing the menu over to Henry. “It’s no big deal. I get it. I’m usually working my ass off as well. So I’m sure she worked this hard in New York too, I just didn’t notice it because I was doing the same thing. But now I have nothing to entertain me.” He smirks at Henry. “Well, except for bugging you.” 

With a shake of his head, Henry laughs. “If that’s what I must put up with, I suppose it’s fine. As long as June can get her work finished.” 

“You're a good friend,” Alex teases. “So what are your plans for the day?” 

“First, tell me what you’re going to ask of me. That may shape my plans.” 

Alex whacks Henry’s arm with his menu. “Rude.” 

Roberta walks over. “Alex, honey, our menus are not weapons.” He feels his cheeks get a bit hot as he apologizes. Henry’s sitting there laughing of course. Roberta grins at him. “I’m kidding. I do that all the time. What’ll you be having?” 

The two of them order and then Alex turns to Henry. “Okay, so I was thinking about that ice skating rink we walked by last time. Could be fun.” 

“You want to go ice skating?” Henry asks with a laugh. 

“Yeah, why not? I’ve never actually been.” 

Henry gapes at him. “Seriously?” Alex nods. “You’ve never been ice skating? Don’t you live in the city with arguably the most well known skating rink in the world?” 

Alex scoffs. “We don’t go to Rockefeller Center to go ice skating! The tourists do that. So even when I first moved there and I was getting used to the city, we didn’t go because it wasn’t what real New Yorkers did. The tourists ruined it for us.” Henry shakes his head at him. “Oh, don’t tell me that there’s nothing in London that tourists ruined for you.” 

“Oh certainly there are places ruined by tourists,” Henry agrees. “But I’ve still been ice skating.” 

Alex rolls his eyes. “Are you saying you’ll go?” 

“Sure, I suppose.” 

After lunch, the two of them run back to the hotel for warmer clothes and head over to the skating rink. “Man, there are a lot of people here for a Monday afternoon,” Alex says, staring at the amount of people on the ice. 

“Well, school just wrapped up for the semester on Friday. I’m sure they’re all taking advantage of their freedom.” 

Alex watches as Henry deftly laces up his skates and he tries to follow his lead. Hobbling over to the ice, he starts to wonder if this was all a mistake. Henry steps on ahead of him, easily navigating himself onto the ice, turning back to look at Alex. With all the confidence he has, Alex steps forward and promptly starts to fall. Henry lunges forward to catch him and pulls him up by his arms. 

“Thanks,” Alex whispers. 

“You good?” 

Alex tests his balance and genuinely thinks he’s fine. He lets go of Henry and tries to go forward. Making it a few strides, he stumbles again, wiping out on the ice. Others just skate past him like he’s not a grown man laying flat on the ice. 

“Are you all right?” 

Alex groans, making himself move. Henry leans down and helps him up. Once Alex is on his feet, Henry holds his hand and starts to skate forward. Alex is still a bit shaky in his skates, but having Henry as support is helping. They make it a full loop of the ice before Alex stumbles again. 

This time, Henry helps him stay up by the hand grasping his. Alex nods his thanks and they keep going around the loop. 

Once Alex finally feels a bit more comfortable, he says, “You know it’s not a big deal, right?” 

“What?” 

“The kiss.” 

He can feel Henry’s hand tense in his, but he doesn’t pull away. Alex is very grateful because he knows he’d fall. “What makes you think I thought it was a big deal?” 

“Uh, I didn’t see you the rest of the night? You didn’t come hiking with us yesterday.” 

“And the only option for that was thinking I thought the forced kiss was a big deal? It couldn't have been the fact that I was letting you have some time with just your sister since  _ she’s  _ the one you came here to see?” 

“I —” He doesn’t really have much to say in response. 

“Could it have perhaps been a big deal to you and you’re just projecting onto me?” 

Alex rolls his eyes. “That’s not it. I just...I thought you were avoiding me or whatever. But if you’re not, then good.” 

“Good.” 

He struggles on a bit, clutching to Henry more than he wants to. Neither of them really speaks. Alex is too focused on not face planting against the ice. If he comes home bleeding, he thinks June will most definitely give him a hard time. Henry must sense that Alex is worried about slipping, so he stays quiet for a while as well. 

“So you did this a lot in England?” Alex eventually asks. 

Henry nods. “Yeah. My sister and I used to go with a friend of mine each Christmas. It was a good time.” 

“You must miss them. Are you heading back to England for Christmas?” 

He risks a look over at Henry and catches the sad expression on his face. “I do miss them, but I’m happier here and that’s something. I’m not going home. I don’t really have the money to get there after only being here for four months.” 

Alex squeezes his hand. “That’s gotta be hard. I’m sure June has already said as much, but you’re welcome to join us.” 

Henry stares back at him, a slow smile spreading across his cheeks. “Well, thank you.” 

“You’re welcome.” They skate on in silence for a while. Naturally, Alex is the first to break that one as well. “I think I’m getting better at this.” He gently lets go of Henry’s hand and edges forward. Henry’s watching him as Alex tries to go on his own. He’s getting further ahead of Henry, making him actually pick up speed to catch up with him. 

The moment Henry’s neck and neck with Alex, he stumbles again. Henry grabs him, yanking him against his body. Alex clutches to his arms, leaning into him a bit. Henry’s arms are tight around his waist. 

“Okay, so maybe I don’t have the hang of it,” Alex breathes. His face is so close to Henry’s neck. He wonders if Henry can feel his breath. 

“You were going there for a moment.” Henry’s arms are still tight around him as he looks down. “I think I get your plan though.”

“What do you mean?” 

Henry pushes forward, skating Alex backward. Alex’s hands move, tightening against Henry’s biceps. “You just wanted an excuse to hang all over me,” he teases. 

“Oh, you think so, huh?” Alex laughs.

“Sure. After Saturday night, I’m sure it seemed like the perfect idea.” 

Alex scoffs. “You wish.” 

“It’s the only explanation for you being so terrible at ice skating and yet  _ wanting  _ to go skating.” 

“I just thought I’d be better at ice skating. How would I know it would be so hard?” 

“Ah, so that’s your thing. You’re just a bundle of confidence and soft lips.” 

Alex pulls back, staring at Henry with wide eyes. “I’m what now?” 

It’s clear the moment Henry hears what he said to Alex. “Erm...I just... I mean…” 

“You think my lips are soft?” Alex teases. “So, I guess the kiss  _ has  _ been on your mind.” 

“Would you like to skate by yourself?” Henry asks, pulling his hands off Alex. 

Alex only tightens his hands on his arms, not letting go of Henry for anything. “Don’t you dare. I’ll drop it. Okay?” 

Slowly, Henry disengages Alex’s hands from his arms and goes back to holding his hand, skating side by side. When he glances over, Alex can see the annoyed look Henry has on his face. He can’t help but wonder if he’s annoyed at Alex or at himself. 

They keep skating, changing the subject to something less delicate. And eventually, Henry’s back to his lighter self. Just before their time is up, Henry skates in front of him, taking Alex’s other hand in his. “I think we should see how good you’ve gotten.” 

“No, I don’t think that’s necessary.” 

“Come on, it would be fun! Live a little!” 

Alex rolls his eyes, not willing to pull his hands from Henry’s. “No lifts. Or you’ll end up with an ice skate in your face.” 

Henry laughs. “Nothing to risk either of us bodily harm. I promise.” Alex gives him a shaky agreement. Henry grins and clenches his hands tighter, skating backward, dragging Alex along with him. He directs them into the center of the ice and starts spinning them. Alex clutches onto him even tighter, fearing he’ll fall again. 

When Henry slows down, laughing brightly, Alex grabs onto his forearms desperately. “ _ Never  _ do that again.” 

Henry’s still laughing, but he agrees. “Come on. Let’s get you back on concrete.” 

The two of them end up spending the rest of the day together, hanging out in front of the fire at the hotel, sharing Christmas stories from their pasts, giving each other shit — the usual. June finds them when she trots back in after work. A smile crosses her face as she sees them together. 

That night, Henry and Alex are brushing their teeth and getting ready for bed at the same time. 

“Today was fun,” Alex says as he gathers up his things. “Sorry if I’m slowing down your progress with your writing. You know, you can tell me to fuck off and leave you alone.” 

“If I wanted to keep writing instead of doing whatever you had in mind, I’d tell you.” 

Alex feels a grin spread on his face. “Well, good. Night, Henry.” 

“Goodnight, Alex.” 

He walks out, turning around in the doorway. “Hey, um…” Henry looks up at him from the mirror. “Just so you know, it’s been on my mind too.” 

“What has been?” 

Alex pauses, trying to decide how to say it. With a smirk he says, “Your soft lips.” Henry opens his mouth to say something, but Alex pushes off the door and walks back to his room. His heart is already racing from just saying that much. And frankly, he’s not sure what he even meant to accomplish by saying that. He’s only here for two more weeks. 

Even if he did like Henry that way — which he’s not sure that he does — it would be stupid to pursue it when he’s going to be gone in the new year. But as he tries to fall asleep that night, all he can think about is Henry’s laugh or his smile, or the cheeky look he got on his face as he pressured Alex to try and do something more exciting as they skated. He thinks about their over-too-fast kiss and how deep down, he really wishes it had lasted longer, that he could have actually kissed him back. 

He stifles a groan, not wanting to wake up June and  _ definitely  _ doesn’t want to talk to her about it. It’s been too long of him being able to think about nothing but Henry. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I was supposed to post a chapter yesterday, and I was originally going to do that in the afternoon, but then I was glued to the news to watch the madness happening in the U.S., so I didn't get around to posting. To make up for it, I'm planning to post another chapter tonight! Then we should be back on track! 
> 
> Thanks for those still reading this! I'm appreciating all the comments! Sorry that I'm terrible at replying!

The next morning when Alex heads to the diner — as has become his routine — Henry’s not there. He frowns, standing near the bar, wondering where the hell Henry could be. Is something wrong? Every day he’s come to the diner, Henry’s been here working. 

Alex closes his eyes, hearing what he said to Henry the night before. Logically, Henry knows that Alex would come find him the next morning. Is he not here because he’s avoiding Alex? He feels like an idiot. Things would have been fine if he’d just not said anything. Now, he either will be avoided until he leaves or things will be weird between them until he leaves. 

In all likelihood June will pick up on it and get mad at Alex for making her best friend feel uncomfortable. He shakes his head at himself, feeling like a fool. Henry’s been up for anything Alex wanted to do since he got here and now…

He doesn’t have much of an appetite, so Alex turns on his heel, heading for the door. 

“Looking for Henry?” Roberta calls to him. 

Alex glances back at her. “Uh, kinda.” 

“He texted me earlier and said he wasn’t going to be over here today. Must be taking care of some other stuff.” 

“Did he say what?” He’s not really sure why he needs to know so badly. Probably just because Henry’s been on his mind for days on end and nothing is helping that. Now, he needs to know where Henry  _ is.  _

“He didn’t say. Or at least not to me. I’d bet your sister knows,” Roberta helps. 

Alex nods. “Thanks, Roberta. I’ll see you later!” 

When he leaves the diner, he’s tempted to go back to the hotel and see if Henry’s there. But if Henry really is avoiding him, he doesn't want to know. It’s easier to pretend that Henry is just busy today and that’s why he wasn’t at the diner. 

Alex walks in the other direction, trudging down the snow-lined streets. Block after block passes and he’s not really focused on anything, his mind too caught up in  _ Henry, Henry, Henry.  _

It’s stupid, he thinks, how little time he’s known Henry for how constantly he thinks about him. Yes, he’s been spending most of his time in Snow’s Landing with Henry because June’s been so busy, but he thinks it’s still too much too fast. At the end of this, Alex will be back in New York. And what will he do there? Spend his days at the law firm daydreaming about Henry? 

He’s a bit worried that’s what will actually happen. 

Sure, he’s objectively attractive. And yes, he’s kind and funny and entertaining. And of course, there’s the way he’ll take whatever grief Alex gives him and give it right back. Alex finds himself desperate for the back and forth they share. He’s never had that with anyone else. Not as easily as with Henry. 

No one else has really ever dominated his mind like Henry has been. 

As he keeps walking, he nears the bookshop. He stops, staring at the big windows, trying to decide if he should go in or not. If Henry’s going to be spending Christmas with them, he should probably get him a present, but what would he even get? What do you get for someone who you’ve kissed once in a very forced way, have spent most of your time with, and can’t stop thinking about but are ultimately just friends with? He doesn’t even know how he got himself into this situation, much less what the appropriate gift is for someone like that. 

Instead of going in, he walks away, needing to try and get Henry off his mind. The problem is, nothing is a good enough distraction. When he looks up, he swears he sees Henry walking out of the coffee shop. “Wait,” he says to himself, “that  _ is  _ Henry.” He calls over to him from the other corner of the intersection. 

Henry either doesn’t hear him or is blatantly ignoring him. He prays it’s not the latter. Alex keeps calling his name, but Henry doesn’t turn around and is instead walking in the opposite direction of Alex. Not really doing much of anything on his own, Alex tears after him, wanting to catch up with him. 

He trips on a small snowbank that the plow must have made this morning. Looking down at the snow, he gets a bit of an idea, a grin spreading deviously on his face. He packs a tight snowball and chases after Henry again, not needing to get as close as originally planned. 

Alex has always had a good arm, even if he spent his best sports years on lacrosse and not baseball. He winds his arm back and aims, hoping it’ll hit Henry and get his attention. The snowball sails through the air, hitting Henry square in the shoulder. Alex pumps his fist as he keeps closing the distance between them. He sees when Henry freezes in place, turning around, looking for who might have hit him. When he sees Alex, he rolls his eyes. 

“Of course it was you,” Henry says, shaking his head. “No one else in this town would be so rude.” 

Alex shrugs as he steps up in front of Henry. “I called your name, but you must not have heard me.” 

“So a snowball to the back was the only way to get my attention?” 

“At least it wasn’t to the face,” Alex offers. Henry shakes his head, breathing out a laugh. Alex can’t help but bounce on his feet. “I wanted to make sure you weren’t avoiding me.” 

Henry frowns, his brow furrowed. “What?” 

“I stopped by the diner but you weren’t there.” 

Henry’s eyes linger on Alex. “I was just running errands. That’s all.” He takes his coffee cup to his mouth and drains the rest of it before tossing it in the can next to them. “I wasn’t avoiding you, Alex.” He glances down at his feet. Alex trains his eyes on his hands, fiddling with the scarf he threw on this morning just in case. Suddenly, things feel awkward with Henry and he doesn’t really know why. “But you should be avoiding me,” Henry says, breaking the silence between them. 

“Why?” 

“Because —” He cuts himself off, throwing a snowball at Alex, hitting him square in the chest. Henry bursts out laughing and takes off down the street. 

“Oh no you don’t!” Alex yells, running after him. He stops just for a moment to make another snowball and then chases along in Henry’s wake. Henry turns his head to look out for Alex and sees him wind up to throw another. He dodges Alex’s snowball and then turns around and blatantly laughs at him. 

The two of them keep the game going, pausing briefly to make some snowballs and then trying to pelt the other with it. Henry leads them out into a park past the town square. It’s surprisingly empty for a Tuesday mid-morning. Henry runs over and hides behind a tree. From what Alex can see, he’s building an arsenal. Alex ducks behind a bush and does the same thing. He’s got at least five made by the time he pops his head up to see where Henry is. It’s a bit disconcerting when he can’t spot Henry anywhere. Alex turns his coat around and puts his snowballs in the hood, having his stash at the ready. 

He leaves his hiding spot and runs out into the open, hoping to draw Henry out. Shockingly, he’s hit from behind. Right as he turns around, he gets another one to the face. Henry’s bent over laughing hysterically, not noticing that after Alex recovers, he’s running at Henry. His eyes go wide, trying to take off, but his foot slips on a slick patch. He falls to one knee and Alex throws three snowballs at him in succession. 

Henry manages to throw another at him before he can push himself up off the ground. He runs from Alex once he’s on his feet and Alex pelts him with the rest of his stash as Henry expands the distance between them. 

Alex takes a break to restock his snowball supply, but he keeps glancing up, trying to see where Henry’s gotten to. The man got the jump on him last time, and Alex won’t let it happen again. Turning his head to the right, he finally sees Henry back on approach. His tactics have apparently changed. 

While Alex has made five or six small ones, Henry’s walking across the field carrying one massive snowball. He’s gaping at him, a bit terrified of getting hit with that. Alex grabs his stash and runs at Henry, throwing the little ones at him, hoping to startle him and make him drop his big snowball. Henry just turns and dodges them. And just like that, Alex is out of snowballs again. 

Henry can clearly tell. He’s flashing a mad grin at Alex as he walks closer. Alex shakes his head, backing away from him. In a flash, he gets a different idea. Rushing at Henry, he tackles him before Henry can throw the snow boulder at him. Henry loses his footing and Alex lands on top of him, the huge snowball breaking over both of them. 

They’re both laughing, both covered in snow. Alex hasn’t moved. He’s just staring down at Henry as they both laugh. But when the laughter peters out, he’s still laying on top of Henry, still watching him. Henry’s eyes are fixed on him as well, his breathing coming a bit short. 

“Kiss me,” Henry whispers. Alex’s eyes widen. It’s all he’s been thinking about doing for days. Henry clearly misreads his expression and shakes his head. “I...if you want to. You don’t —” 

Alex cuts him off by kissing him. He leans down, his hands on both of Henry’s cheeks, and kisses him deeply. It’s the kiss he’s been wishing they’d shared at the party instead of the over-too-quick one. Henry huffs out a breath before his hands come around Alex as he kisses him back fully. His gloved hand cups the back of Alex’s head, tangling in his curls. 

When he finally has to, Alex pulls back and catches his breath, staring down at Henry the whole time. Both of their noses and cheeks are red from the cold, but Henry’s lips are red from kissing Alex and it sends a zing through him. 

Henry pulls him down and kisses him again. Alex almost wishes they weren’t in a wide open park, but he’s not going to stop what they’re doing. 

“So, I obviously won the snowball fight,” Alex says as they break apart a second time. 

“Oh like hell you did,” Henry argues. Alex can’t help but grin. 

“Well then, the break is over,” Alex decides, rolling off Henry and taking off behind a tree. 

“You’re on!” Henry yells after him. 

For the next twenty minutes, the two of them are either gathering more snowballs or running after each other and pelting each other as the fight continues. In the end, Henry corners Alex by a tree. Henry has a snowball and Alex used the last of his stash on ineffectual throws. Henry gets in close, a mischievous grin on his face. Alex’s back is against the tree. He glances over to the side to see if he can escape past Henry. 

Based on the look on Henry’s face, he’s not sure he wants to escape. 

Henry stops right in front of him, the front of his coat inches away from Alex’s. He grins as he smashes the last snowball against the top of Alex’s head. “I win,” he says before grabbing Alex’s scarf and pulling him in for a deep kiss. Alex moans against him, hating himself a bit. Henry presses fully against him, leaning them both into the tree, and makes his own noise in reply. 

Alex doesn’t care about anything else other than Henry. With him crowded up against him, he’s not even that cold. As they’re kissing, he unzips Henry’s coat and slides his arms inside, around his waist. Henry’s breath hitches, but he doesn’t stop, just presses impossibly closer to Alex. 

“Probably would have been indecent to do that in a room full of people at that party,” Alex says as they pull apart, Henry’s forehead resting against his. “But damn that’s what I wanted.” 

A small smile crosses Henry's face. “Me too,” he whispers. Alex smiles back at him before leaning up and kissing him again. 


	7. Chapter 7

While before, he didn’t get why he was always thinking about Henry,  _ now  _ Alex knows why. He can’t stop thinking about Henry’s lips against his, about his hands that hold him like he’s precious, about the look Henry gives him before he kisses him or the look he gets after Henry kisses him. 

It’s all so good. 

It’s also all a secret. Well, at least from June. 

They aren’t exactly denying it, but Alex doesn’t want to talk to June about whatever is between them. He’s having fun with Henry and enjoys what he has with him. That should be enough. But he knows it won’t be for June. So instead of talking it out, he just kisses Henry in private and holds his hand when he sits next to him at the diner, and then — seemingly by mutual agreement — they do nothing around June that could even signal that they’re friends. 

Alex still teases him, still gives him crap when needed — especially around June — but he also kisses him senseless when it’s just the two of them. 

It feels pretty perfect. Based on how eager Henry seems each time he sees Alex, he thinks it feels pretty perfect to him too. 

Now, when they spend the day together, Alex doesn’t feel quite as guilty about pulling him from his writing. He’ll take Alex’s hand as they walk through town and everything feels like a complete 180 from when he first got here. Which, he reminds himself, was really not that long ago. He thinks that maybe it’s just whatever he has with Henry that makes it feel like they’ve known each other for ages. 

After a dinner with June, they spend the evening pretending to be nothing more than acquaintances. As Alex and June are getting ready for bed, he sends a text to Henry:  **Heading to “brush my teeth”**

June walks to the other end of the hall to the girls’ bathroom and Alex makes himself not run down to the boys’. He’s pacing inside the room as he waits for Henry to get in there. Thankfully, he doesn’t have to wait long. 

“I don’t like that you put quotes in your text,” he says without warning as he walks in. “Please tell me you’re going to actually brush your teeth.” 

“I’m sure I’ll get to it, but it’s not my top priority,” Alex tells him as he pulls him in by the hem of his t-shirt. Henry shakes his head, grinning right as Alex moves in to kiss him. 

“You demon,” Henry whispers against his lips. Alex smirks and leans back in. He turns Henry and presses him back against the sink, deepening their kiss. Henry’s hands are tight around his body and Alex’s are tangled in his shirt, holding it like a vice, lest Henry try to get away. Thankfully, he doesn’t seem to be wanting to do anything but kiss Alex with as much desperation as Alex feels. It’s all so mind-blowingly good. He doesn’t really understand it, but he’s obviously not questioning it. 

Henry takes him by surprise, reaching down and picking him up. A surprised noise stutters out of Alex, but neither of them separate. Henry turns them around, setting Alex on the counter and crowding against him as Alex spreads his legs to accommodate his body. 

Alex pulls back for just a moment, watching Henry. Their eyes are locked, both of them sharing the same dazed expression on their faces. With a bit of a grin, Alex moves back in, tangling his fingers through Henry’s soft hair. Even with him sitting on the counter, he’s mostly leaning against Henry, pressing their bodies together. 

“Hey, Alex, I — Oh my god!” 

Alex and Henry snap apart, Henry jumping back at the sight of a very shocked June standing in the doorway, her mouth hanging open. With Henry’s absence, Alex starts to fall off the counter, stopped only by Henry catching him. 

“What the hell?” 

“Uh…” Alex’s brain isn’t working. Henry’s lips made him stupid. 

Shaking her head in confusion, June turns around and walks away from the bathroom. Part of Alex is tempted to climb back up on the counter and forget about her. But he knows he can’t. He flashes Henry a regretful look and takes off toward their room. Henry follows him. 

June is pacing inside their room. Alex goes right to her while Henry waits by the door. 

“Look, Bug, about what...you saw…” 

“What the hell is going on?” June demands. She looks back and forth between Henry and Alex like she’s at a tennis match. “What is even happening?” 

“I mean, uh.” Alex isn’t quite sure what to say. “You knew we kissed.” 

She stares at him like he’s crazy. “Last I heard it was one freaking kiss under mistletoe.” 

“It’s become, er, slightly...more than that,” Henry says from his perch by the door. 

June glares at Alex. “Have you guys been sneaking around since then?” 

“No!” June’s eyes on him are unrelenting. “It was a couple of days later.” 

“Are you freaking serious? You’ve been hiding this from me?” She turns to Henry. “You’ve been secretly making out with my brother? Come on, Henry!” 

Alex looks back to see Henry withering under her glare, his eyes firmly on the floor. “Gotta say,” Alex interjects, “I am kind of surprised you went for the ‘my brother’ side of things instead of the ‘my best friend’ side of things. That was kind of what I’d expected you to do, if I’m being honest.” He shakes his head. “But also, I didn’t figure you’d react like this given the fact that you kept pushing us together. You know he’s gay, you know I’m bi. And you kept making us do things together or send me to spend time with him if you were busy. I mean…” 

“It did sort of feel like that, like you were, er,  _ encouraging  _ us,” Henry agrees.

“See?” Alex says. 

June’s glare is back to being trained on him. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me? And I swear if you say  _ anything  _ about sneaking around being sexy, I swear —” 

“Look, we just didn’t want to have to sit down and talk about it,” Alex says. It’s not necessarily, the whole truth. There’s more to do with the fact that Alex doesn’t want to acknowledge that he lives in a different state and is leaving after the ball drops. Still, that truth should be enough for June. He only has so much time left with Henry, he doesn’t want to spend all of it discussing what it could be when realistically, it won’t be anything. 

But as he turns and glances back at Henry, at the queasy look on his face, Alex wants to push back his departure indefinitely. He wants to walk over and hold Henry and tell him June’s opinion doesn’t matter, that he’ll be with him no matter what. Thoughts that are way too early to be thinking flash around in his head as he stares at Henry. 

“Fine,” June finally says. “Then let’s just talk about it another time. I’d like to go to bed and hopefully the image of what I saw in the bathroom won’t be seared into my brain.” 

“I mean, really, it could have been so much worse,” Alex says with a laugh. 

“Alex!” Both June and Henry are chiding him, June with disgust, Henry appalled. He just shrugs. 

“Well, good night, both of you,” Henry says in a small voice, ducking out of the room. 

Alex turns back and glares at June after the door closes. “Seriously? You had to make a big deal about this?” 

June rolls her eyes, crawling into her bed. “Alex, let’s just talk about this tomorrow.” 

He shakes his head, unable to lay down on the couch or even think about going to sleep. “I left my toothbrush in the bathroom. I’ll be right back.” 

Admittedly, he  _ did  _ leave his toothbrush in the bathroom, but he also wants to see Henry. His heart lifts when he opens the door to the bathroom and sees him standing there. “Hey.”

Henry turns from the sink, not really meeting his eyes. “Hi.” 

“Just, so you know,” Alex says as he puts toothpaste on his toothbrush, “I don’t really care what June thinks.” 

Glancing over at him, Henry watches him as Alex brushes his teeth. “I kind of do…” he says in a small voice. 

“Look, I know she’s your best friend, but are you really going to let her decide who you can or can’t make out with?” 

Henry laughs as he leans back against the sink, crossing his arms. “I shouldn’t, should I?” 

Alex waits until he’s done rinsing his mouth to answer. He reaches over and cups Henry’s cheek. “I’m not going to let her. That’s all I’m saying.” 

A hand reaches out to hold Alex’s against Henry’s cheek. “Well, then I won’t either. Even if I’ll feel terribly uncomfortable around her.” 

With a laugh, Alex leans up and kisses him quickly. “She’ll get over it.” 

He moves to walk from the bathroom, but Henry yanks him back in by his arm, kissing him solidly. Henry pulls back sooner than Alex is expecting. He brushes hair off Alex’s forehead and stares down at him, a curious look in his eye. “Good night, Alex.” 

Alex pushes himself up and kisses Henry once more. “Good night, Henry.” 


	8. Chapter 8

Everything seems much easier once June knows. Alex doesn’t feel like he’s sneaking around as much. He sits in the diner with Henry and lets him write, finding something to do other than distract him. Really, he just browses all his different social media accounts and listens to Henry clack away at his keys. 

The moment Henry pauses, resting his hands on the bar, Alex takes it as his chance to hold his hand. He doesn’t know what sappy power Henry holds over him, he just knows that he wants to be close to him. With a smile, Henry glances his way and squeezes his hand before taking his back to keep typing. 

Just before lunch time, Henry is finishing up his last section and is about to take a break. June comes bursting in, walking right toward them. “June, hi,” Henry says in a cheery voice. Alex feels like he’s maybe overcompensating. “Would you like to join us for lunch? We were just about to order.” 

“Actually, I was going to ask Alex if he wanted to go to Rosetti’s.” 

Alex gasps. “You can’t talk about going to another restaurant with Roberta ten feet away.” 

June rolls her eyes. “She’ll get over it.” She raises an eyebrow to Alex. “Wanna go?” 

Alex turns to Henry before looking back at June. “Yeah, we could do that.” 

An awkward look crosses June’s face. “Um, I actually just meant you.” 

He sees a brief concerned look from Henry before he schools his expression. “That’s a good plan,” Henry chimes in. His hand is on Alex’s. “Then I might actually get some writing done instead of being distracted.” He shoots a wink at Alex. 

Alex shakes his head, smacking Henry’s shoulder. “I believe I asked you if I should leave you alone and you said you didn’t mind. Get your story straight.” He stands up and kisses Henry, not caring that his sister is right there. “Good luck being productive,” he whispers before moving out of Henry’s space. 

“Have fun,” Henry says in reply. 

Alex smiles at him as he walks out behind June. She leads him to a restaurant a few blocks away. They’ve walked past it a million times, but he’s yet to stop in. The smell of garlic hits him in the best way the moment they walk in. 

“This place seems nice.” 

June nods. “It’s pretty good.” Alex has barely picked up his menu before June starts in on him. “So what’s the deal with Henry?” 

Alex groans. Realistically, he knew he couldn’t come visit his sister and start something with her best friend without her inserting herself in the situation, but he’s still irritated. 

“June,” he starts, a definite whine to his voice. 

“No, Alex, don’t. I know Henry better than you do. I don’t want you to hurt him.” 

Alex is almost offended. “What makes you think I’m going to hurt him?” 

“How about the fact that you’re leaving at New Years?” 

He lets out a sigh, not wanting to acknowledge what she’s saying. “You don’t think he knows that too? We’re both grown ups here, June. And if we’re having a good time together, isn’t that all that should matter right now?” 

June rolls her eyes. “I’m glad you’re having a good time together, I’m just worried. You don’t know all the stuff that Henry’s been through. And you’re the one who’s going to ditch him and run back to New York.” 

“God, you make me sound like such an asshole.” 

“I’m not trying to. These are just the facts!” 

“Look, I  _ like  _ him, okay? And I know that I have my life back in New York, but I’d rather wait and have this awkward conversation  _ with Henry  _ when the time comes. Not you.” He huffs out a breath. “Can we just have a civil lunch and have you not grill me?” 

June sighs, but nods in agreement. 

They change the topic to their parents and things seem to flow easier. But all the while, a knot starts to tighten in Alex’s stomach. 

Logically, he knows he’s leaving. He’s known it the whole time. But the idea of leaving Henry before they even know what they have makes him feel sick to his stomach. Everything is so easy with Henry, feels so right. The idea of just heading back to New York and leaving that all behind feels stupid. 

Alex is barely focused on June’s point of their mom’s new boyfriend, Leo. He just nods in agreement when prompted. In all likelihood, he agrees with her anyway. But, as has been the case nearly this whole time, he can’t get his mind off Henry. 

After lunch, it doesn’t seem to matter that he can’t stop thinking of Henry because he spends the rest of the day with him. They walk around town, running Henry’s errands, hands clasped between them. It feels so easy and nice. Alex doesn’t want to question it. 

Days just start being spent like that. The two of them are spending as much time together as possible. Maybe part of the reason for that is the countdown clock on their time in the same town, but Alex thinks it also has a lot to do with Henry. He wanted to spend a scary amount of time with him even when he couldn’t yet pull him into an alley and kiss him senseless. 

He almost feels a bit guilty when Henry stops even attempting to write in the mornings at the diner, but when Henry pulls him back to his room one morning after June goes to another interview, Alex decides not to think too much about it. 

On Christmas Eve, June, Henry, and Alex are helping Roberta out at the diner. The three of them are spending tomorrow together and Roberta wanted to give her employees some time off. Alex glances up from dropping some plates off at a table and sees Henry laughing with someone at the table he’s serving. It all hits Alex like a truck — how much he doesn’t want to leave Henry, how much he loves being around him, how it’s never felt like this with anyone else. He reminds himself for the millionth time that it’s  _ way  _ too soon to be thinking like this, but still, he can’t help the way he feels. 

On Christmas morning, June brings in a plate of biscuits that she bought the day before. Alex makes a big deal over insisting that they’re called  _ biscuits  _ when Henry grabs for one. Henry just rolls his eyes and takes a bite. There’s an undercurrent of affection in his look and it warms Alex up. 

The three of them plant themselves around the Christmas tree they picked out and decorated. Behind them, a small fireplace flickers, warming them up. Beverly is with her family today and it seems to be just the three of them in the inn. It’s all so quaint and cozy that Alex has to take a moment. 

Alex watches carefully as Henry opens his present. June got him some bag that he absolutely fawned over and while he hasn’t known him that long and wasn’t even obligated to get him something, he doesn’t want to fail present-wise. Naturally, Henry’s slow at opening, wanting to preserve the paper or some shit. He stares down at the gift in his lap before he looks over at Alex. 

“You bought me  _ Love in the Time of Cholera?  _ Alex, I…” 

He trails off and Alex isn’t sure if it’s a good thing or not. “I mean, you’re the one who made me watch that damn movie from when we were  _ children.  _ So...I don’t know, I saw it in the bookstore and I had to buy it.” 

“That movie is called  _ Serendipity  _ and you loved it,” Henry argues. “Sorry for choosing the New York setting on purpose. I thought you would appreciate it.” 

“It wasn’t a terrible movie.” 

Henry rolls his eyes, running his hand over the book. “I’ve never actually read this.” He opens the cover and bursts out laughing, glancing over at Alex. “You know I already have your number, right?” 

Alex grins. “I wrote it in there like she did. It’s all about the gesture!” 

There’s a fond look on Henry’s face before he looks back down at the book. “Thank you.” 

“You’re welcome.” 

June’s sitting silently with them, her mouth a tight line, and an unreadable look in her eyes. Alex shakes his head to himself and refocuses on Henry. He opens his gift from Henry which has two parts: one, an amazingly soft scarf and two, a Snow’s Landing mug which makes both of them laugh. Alex has to force his laugh to continue as he wonders if Henry gave it to him so he’ll remember him when he’s back in New York. 

The knot in his stomach continues to tighten. 

Two days after Christmas, Henry asks Alex to meet him at the diner. Alex laughs and says, “Like it wasn’t already my plan.” He gets there at the time that Henry specified and walks in, surprised to find Henry at a table. Grinning, he waves his hand like Alex isn’t standing nearly right in front of him. “What’s this?” Alex asks. 

“Well, I thought it might be a nice change of pace.” 

Alex sits down across from him, a broad grin on his face. “I like it.” 

The two of them order food and continue to flirt like idiots. Henry takes his hand and holds it on top of the table. It feels like a date and Alex wants to point it out, but that might bring up the conversation he does not want to have. They’ve eaten and their plates have been taken away and they’re still sitting there talking. Henry’s apparently relinquished his side of the bar for the afternoon based on the people sitting there. “It feels wrong,” Alex jokes. 

He looks back at Henry who is staring over his shoulder. “There’s some woman watching you.” 

Alex frowns, glancing in the direction Henry’s looking. His jaw drops open and he rockets out of his chair. “Nora? What on earth are you doing here?” She squeals happily and runs over to him, bag pulling behind her. 

“I thought I recognized that head of curls!” she exclaims, laying her hand on his head and shaking it. “Thank god I found you.”

“What are you doing here?” Alex asks. 

“Well, basically the week between Christmas and New Years is a joke and our boss finally just gave in and gave us some time off. I didn’t want to spend New Years bored and alone, so I booked a ticket and came up here to surprise you and June!” 

Alex gapes at her, shaking his head. “That’s awesome. She’s going to be  _ thrilled  _ to see you.” 

“I know. I’m a delight,” Nora teases. She looks past Alex to Henry. “Hi, I’m Nora.” She sticks out her hand for the shake. 

“You’re Nora?” Henry asks, shaking her hand. “It’s so nice to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you from June. Well, and then eventually from Alex. I’m Henry.” 

“Oh my gosh, the famous Henry! So nice to finally meet you. I’ve also heard a ton about you from June.” 

“Wait, really?” Alex asks. “Including that he’s her…” he glances over at Henry and then back at Nora “...best friend.” 

Nora rolls her eyes. “Oh you young summer child, when will you finally learn that you can have more than one best friend? Or the fact that I’m not threatened by anyone.” She looks at Henry. “No offense.” He just laughs and shakes his head. “Anyway, I’m staying at some quaint little inn. It looked pretty cute on the website. I was kind of surprised by how up to date the website is for what looked like a decently ancient inn.” 

“June helped with that,” Henry tells her. 

“Ahh. Makes sense. Anyway, would either of you be able to point me in that direction? I didn’t know where June was housed here, so I figured the inn would be my safest bet.” 

“Safest for sure as she is staying there,” Alex informs her. “Me too. And Henry.” 

Nora looks at both of them with a surprised look. “Well okay then.” 

“God, I can’t believe you’re here.” 

“I could not break the holy tradition of you, me, and June spending New Years together.” 

“You’re the one who stonewalled me into coming here,” Alex says. “Seems like it was your own fault.” 

She rolls her eyes. “Anyway, I need to go find this inn.” 

“I’ll take you,” Alex volunteers. 

Nora looks back at the table and shakes her head. “You don’t have to. It looks like you guys were having lunch.” 

“Oh, we already ate,” Henry tells her. “You’re more than welcome to take him. I was just going to sit here and make fun of him, but...I can do that later.” 

Alex shakes his head at Henry as Nora bursts out laughing. “Oh, I like you, Henry. You’ll blend in so well with our little group.” She looks at Alex. “Okay, then, let’s go.” 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” He walks to Henry’s side of the table and presses a kiss to his cheek. “I’ll see you later.” Henry nods and watches him walk away. 

They’re just past the final window of the diner when Nora says something. “So what’s going on there? He seems pretty sweet.” 

“Let’s not ask these questions.” 

Nora scoffs. “Yeah, right. It’s my right to ask you all these questions. When you left town single and I come to find you, mere weeks later, with a hot piece of British, I’m allowed to ask what’s going on.” 

“I don’t know, okay,” Alex says, unable to dodge her like he can dodge June. “But I also don’t want to bring it up. Whatever is going on is...nice. And I feel like bringing it up is only going to ruin it.” 

“Alex, need I remind you that you’re scheduled to depart this little town on January 1st?” She pauses, a thoughtful look on her face. “I mean...unless you don’t want to anymore, but you need to decide that.” 

“Wait, what?” 

“What? I’m just saying. If you don’t want to go back to New York, you should decide.” 

“But I live in New York. Why wouldn’t I go back there?” 

Nora looks over at him, her face a bit scrunched. “Do you think I don’t talk to June? Do you think she hasn’t told me things about your time here? But also, you weren’t  _ born  _ in New York, you recall. You were born in Austin and lived there for a while and then you moved to D.C. And then you lived in D.C. for a while and then you moved to New York. And if your time is up in New York, you can move anywhere you want. Anywhere that makes you happy.” 

Alex doesn’t really know what to say. He loves New York, the city. But he doesn’t really have that much attachment to it. He certainly doesn’t feel any sort of attachment to his job. “It would be crazy to move here for someone I literally just met,” Alex tells her. 

“Who said it  _ had  _ to be for him?” Nora asks. “You could move here because this place makes you happy. I haven’t seen a sickening smile on your face like you had back in that diner in a very,  _ very  _ long time. Your job is killing you. Maybe it’s good to explore your options.” 

“And you think  _ Snow’s Landing  _ should be my option?” 

Nora shrugs. “I don’t know. But if you want to consider it, you need to do so before the clock runs out on your time here.” She gives him a look that shuts up any rebuttal he might have. As much as it kills him to admit it, the idea of leaving is getting worse and worse the closer he gets to the date he’s supposed to do so. 

“Anyway,” she continues, like Alex’s whole world isn’t spinning off its axis, “how excited do you think June will be to see me?” 

Alex laughs. “She hasn’t seen you in six months. I’m sure she’ll be thrilled.” 

“Good.” 

As predicted, June loses her mind a bit as Nora walks in the room with Alex. She squeals like Nora did back in the diner, rushing at her friend and wrapping her in a tight hug. “Oh my god. You’re here?” 

Nora shrugs with a brilliant smile. “I couldn’t skip New Years with the Claremont-Diazes.” Alex smiles too as he watches them catch up. He’s been in a weird spot between them. The last few weeks he’s been alone with June, the months before that, only with Nora. It’s nice to have them all together as a trio. 

He thinks about Nora’s point earlier to Henry. It could easily become a quad and Henry really would fit in well. More of Nora’s points start swirling around in his head. He wonders if there’s some sign, some way to know when you’re supposed to make a big life change. Maybe you just come across something new, something that feels warm and easy and fun, and it makes you realize you weren’t really happy before. 

Nora is right — there’s a bit of a timeline on this decision. But he decides to table all thoughts of it for the day, wanting to spend his time being present with some of his favorite people. Later, when Nora and June drag Henry into the mix, the statement still feels accurate to Alex. Weeks ago, he wouldn’t have said it was possible for someone to elevate to that status so quickly. But then again, he hadn’t met Henry yet. 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back with another chapter today because I've started feeling weird about still posting a Christmas story in January! Haha! Anyway, thank you for the sweet comments on this story! I hope you enjoy the last two chapters!

After Nora arrives in Snow’s Landing, something changes. Henry changes. Alex tries to get breakfast with him but Henry pleads to leave him to his writing. Given that he’s told Henry before to let him know if he needs his writing time, Alex respects his request. He hangs out with Nora instead. 

She asks him way too many questions about Henry, about them together, about how he feels in Snow’s Landing. Her questions are far less than subtle and he chooses which ones to answer. His mind is becoming more and more of a mess, trying to sort out his feelings about the place, about Henry. 

Well, not Henry. His feelings for Henry have been pretty clear since before they’d even kissed, he just didn’t want to admit it. 

For whatever reason, Nora keeps pressuring him to make a decision. It’s like she knows something that he doesn’t. Alex wants to talk to Henry about it, but yet again, he doesn’t want to have that conversation. Given the fact that he’s leaving at the end of the week, they really do need to have some sort of conversation. 

Alex makes up his mind to talk with Henry, to see how it goes trying to talk with him. He wonders if they could try long distance. Is it stupid to even suggest? It’s not exactly a terrible trip from New York to Snow’s Landing. And Alex will surely want to see June if she’s still here. He thinks these are all points he can bring up with Henry. Taking a deep breath through his nose, breathing in the cold winter air, Alex nods to himself and walks in the diner to see Henry. 

It’s more or less foreboding that right when Henry notices him, he closes his laptop and starts packing up his things. Well, at first, Alex just thinks he might be eager to see him. It’s when he starts pulling on his coat that Alex starts to feel concerned. 

“Hey,” he says, “You headed somewhere? I thought maybe we could talk.” 

Henry clears his throat, an uncomfortable look on his face. “I actually have to run to the library.” 

Alex does a quick mental check before saying, “It’s not Saturday.” 

“Well, it’s a small makeup reading since we missed last Saturday because of Christmas.” 

“I can come with you. And then maybe we could talk afterward.” 

Henry shakes his head. “I have a meeting with the librarians afterward, so you’d just be bored waiting for me. How about I find you later?” 

Nothing in Henry’s words explicitly say that he’s blowing Alex off, but he feels that way nonetheless. He shrugs helplessly. “Okay.” 

“Great.” Henry sneaks by him and Alex turns his head to give or accept a kiss, but Henry just walks past him. 

The knot that’s been sitting in his stomach now feels like a rock. Unsurprisingly, they don’t see Henry for the rest of the day. Alex doesn’t text him about dinner, but June does. He doesn’t even reply. She gives Alex a weird look, maybe sympathy mixed with confusion. He ignores her and chews his pizza like it’s wronged him. 

The next day, Alex can’t even find Henry to talk to him. He goes to the diner, but he’s not there. He goes back to the hotel and checks Henry’s room, but he’s not there. His next stop is the coffee shop where Alex found him the first day they kissed for real. He’s not there either. By the time Alex trudges back to the hotel, Nora is walking out and stops him. 

“You look bleak.” 

“Gee, thanks.” 

“Did you talk to Henry?” 

“Couldn’t even find him,” Alex says. He rolls his eyes, hoping the stinging feeling is just something in the air and not something as embarrassing as tears. “You have anywhere you’re going?” 

Nora shrugs and tucks her arm through Alex’s. “How about you show me your favorite parts of town?” 

He gives her a weird look but turns off toward the square. It’s always so picturesque and pretty, especially with the snow lined gazebo standing in the center. Nora makes an excited face and runs over to it, dragging him along with her. 

“Have you and your boyfriend hung out here?” 

Alex glares at her. “He’s not my boyfriend.” 

“Ooh, touchy.” 

With a sigh, he adds, “I don’t know what he is, honestly. I wish I did.” 

“Crazy concept. Have you tried  _ talking  _ to him?” Nora raises one brow pointedly. 

“Yes, you jerk, I have tried. And every time I’ve tried, he’s come up with some excuse to leave.” Alex leans his head back against the wooden post and closes his eyes. “I don’t know what to do, Nora. Every day my departure gets closer and closer and I’m starting to feel like…” 

He trails off, but Nora expertly finishes his statement. “Like you don’t want to go back.” 

“It’s insane, isn’t it?” 

“I don’t think so. People make impulsive decisions all the time. And frankly, I don’t think this is as impulsive as you think it is. You’ve spent weeks here getting to know the town and the people.” She turns and looks at him. “Have you been happy here?” 

“I’ve been on vacation. Of course I’ve been happy.” 

“That’s not an  _ of course.  _ Remember our trip to Florida? You were miserable.” 

“I got very deeply sunburned the first day because I fell asleep on the beach and you and June didn’t wake me up to reapply sunscreen!” he defends. Nora rolls her eyes. “What if I do something stupid, make some crazy impulsive decision to uproot my life to some small, sleepy town in Vermont and once it’s not a novelty, I hate it?” 

“That’s the risk literally anytime you move somewhere,” Nora reminds him. “You were nervous moving from Austin to D.C., but you loved D.C. Until you were ready for a change. And then you joined June and I up in New York.” Alex nods. “Can I be frank with you?” 

“Aren’t you always?” 

She laughs and nods. “Fair point. Look, I think you’ve  _ gotten by  _ in New York and June and I have been able to distract you from the fact that you’re not really thriving.” Alex looks down at his hands, trying to think through her words. “You hate your job. You killed yourself there just to be overlooked for a promotion. And if you go back, they’re going to expect you to keep killing yourself. You know what June says?” Alex raises one brow at her. “She’s never seen you as happy as you’ve been here.” 

Alex thinks over his weeks here and he really has been happy here, however unlikely it sounds. He’s starting to dread his impending departure more and more. The incredibly fast timeline to make a life-altering decision just stresses him out though. 

“I think you need to talk to June.” 

His head whips over. “Why?” 

A slightly panicked look crosses Nora’s face. “Just...talk to your sister, okay?” 

Alex is confused, but he nods. 

That night after another fruitless try to talk to Henry, Alex joins the girls. Nora claims she has a work call she has to take and retreats to her room. She flashes a dramatic look at June and points at Alex before walking out the door. He’s frankly used to the silent conversations they have in front of him, but this one still bugs him. 

“Hey, uh, how do you feel about going down to O'Flannigans?” 

“Are you trying to get me drunk?” 

June laughs and shakes her head. “No, but I may need something.” He frowns and follows her out the door. When they step into the hall, his eyes flick down to Henry’s door. The lights are shining in the gap between the door and the floor. He wants to walk down there and ask him to join them or at the very least to talk to him. Instead, he follows June down the stairs and tries to push Henry from his mind, even if he’s yet to be successful at that. 

They get to a lightly populated bar and both order drinks. Alex takes a look around the place, taking in the obvious Irish style of the pub. He waits for June to start whatever conversation she wants to have and observes his surroundings and the people as the silence between them lengthens. Once they both have beers in their hand, June takes a deep breath. 

“Okay, so I have something I need to talk about with you,” she confesses. Alex raises one brow and takes a sip of his beer. It’s not a Shiner, but it’ll do. “I should have told you from the beginning, well, hell, I should have told you even before that, but I’ve been scared of your reaction and —” 

“June, just tell me. I’m your brother. It’ll be fine.” 

She nods, taking a long pull of her beer. “I live here.” 

“At this bar?” Alex jokes. 

June glares at him. “I live in Snow’s Landing.” 

“Yeah, I know, June. You’ve been living here for six months.” 

She shakes her head. “No, that’s not…” Another deep breath comes before she continues. “I turned in my story four months ago. And then I quit that job and officially moved here.” 

Alex stares at her. “But...most of your stuff is still at your and Nora’s apartment.” 

“Well, yeah, because I don’t have much place to put things living in a hotel.” 

“Nora knows, doesn’t she?” June scrunches up her face and nods. “Makes sense then, all the crap she was telling me.” 

“It was somehow easier for me to tell her. I’m sorry. That was partially why I kept myself busy while you’ve been here — because I didn’t know how to tell you. I mean, I am somewhat busy, but still.” 

“What do you do here?” 

A smile crosses June’s face at Alex’s interest. “I work for their paper. Well, and I help Beverly run the hotel.” 

He surprises himself by laughing. “Of course you do. I guess it makes sense then why you still live there.” June nods. Alex watches his sister closely. “Are you happy here, June?” 

“I am,” she says in complete honesty. He can tell. 

“Then I’m happy for you,” he replies easily. “Did you really think I’d be mad at you?” 

“I don’t know,” she says with a shrug, not meeting his eyeline, “sometimes you have a hard time with change.” 

“Mom and Dad’s divorce doesn’t count,” Alex insists. “But I want you to be happy. And if living here makes you happy, then you should.” 

“Hey, um, what crap was Nora telling you?” 

Alex rolls his eyes. “Talking about how I should move here.” 

An excited look crosses June’s face. “You’d have my support!” She grabs his hands. “Are you actually thinking about it?” 

He shrugs. “I don’t know.” Staring down at his drink, he tries to put his mess of thoughts out in the world succinctly. “The more I think about leaving, the more I feel this knot growing in my stomach, sitting there like a rock. I don’t...I don’t know what to do. It feels too impulsive to up and move. Nora tried to tell me it wasn’t really impulsive because I’ve spent weeks here, but, I don’t know.” He groans. “I don’t  _ know,  _ you know?” 

June tries to hold back a laugh — tries and fails. “Remember what Mom used to tell us about listening to our guts?” 

Alex shakes his head. “Yeah, I always used to say that my stomach couldn’t talk because it was a bodily organ that couldn’t give me advice.” 

With a roll of her eyes, June laughs again. “You did. And Mom always hated it. But no, what I mean is that you should listen to your gut.” She fixes him with an intense look. “What is your gut telling you?” 

Alex sighs, thinking about how crappy he’s felt in the last couple of days without talking to Henry or how torn he gets every time he thinks about going back to New York, or the sick to his stomach feeling that kicks in when he thinks about returning to his job. It’s all pointing to something. “I think it’s telling me to stay.” June cheers. “But isn’t that kinda crazy? That’s a crazy leap.” 

June smirks at him. “I thought jumping off of cliffs was your thing?” 

“God I hate when you throw my words back at me.” June laughs. “It’s a lot to wrap my mind around.” 

“Maybe you should talk to Henry about it. He moved here pretty impulsively. Could help.” 

Alex chugs more of his beer. “Henry’s avoiding me presently.” 

“Did you do something?” 

He glares at his sister. “ _ No,  _ I did not. But thanks for taking my side.” He rolls his eyes. “It’s been the last couple of days. Any time I’ve tried to spend time with him and talk to him about...us...I don’t know, he just ditches me.” 

June has a concerned look on her face. “Well, keep trying. He’d want to know that you’re thinking of staying.” 

“If I stay, it’s not  _ just  _ because of Henry.” 

“Of course not,” June says with a grin. “It’s because of me.” 

Alex drinks more of his beer, trying to fight the smile on his face. 


	10. Chapter 10

His last two days in Snow’s Landing feel much calmer after he makes up his mind. Henry’s still avoiding him, but Alex realizes he has time to make Henry come around. Somehow that helps too. June “happens to run into” the lawyer who’s looking for a partner after the original founder of the practice passed away last fall. She drags Alex along to a lunch with him, making it seem like the most casual thing in the world. Both of them know what she’s up to and Mr. Ryder asks Alex for a meeting once he returns to Snow’s Landing. 

The biggest hurdle is Henry. His well of excuses is surely bound to run dry soon and Alex is eagerly waiting for it. Still, each time Alex tries to get near him, Henry either ditches him or makes himself hidden from the start. 

It does nothing to make Alex feel better, but it also doesn’t deter him from the decision he’s made. More than anything, he just wishes he could share this with Henry. 

He feels nearly sure that Henry will be at Marge’s New Year’s Eve party. It comforts him slightly. Alex dresses up in his best look he brought with him, hoping to look too good to avoid. June and Nora, as usual, are looking beautiful and ready to party. It’s nice to have the three of them together. Somehow their togetherness is almost a distraction from Henry’s avoidance. 

As expected from the Christmas party, the New Year’s Eve party is insane. To his surprise, it’s an even bigger turn out than the last one. Nora nods approvingly once they walk in the door. All three of them head straight for the makeshift bar. 

Throughout the night, Alex keeps watching the door, scanning the room, looking around for Henry. He’d felt nearly  _ sure  _ that Henry would come to Marge’s party. But maybe he’s avoiding Alex so hard that he’s missing out on good times as well. Alex tries not to take it personally. 

Still, his new habit of scanning back through their last interactions kicks in, Alex trying to figure out the  _ why  _ of Henry’s avoidance. Things had felt so good. Could it have all been in Alex’s head? He doesn’t think so. Nora and June certainly don’t think so. 

Alex throws back another whiskey and tries not to think of Henry. 

It’s never worked before and no matter how much he drinks, it’s not working now. 

The countdown starts and Alex feels lonely more than anything. He doesn’t really care about the new year, he just keeps focusing on the last few weeks of this year, trying to find out where he went wrong. Alex steps aside from the merriment and finds himself out in Marge’s backyard. He’s alone, standing under a tree, wishing Henry would just come find him and explain what’s been going on. 

But as the clock continues to count, throwing them into a new year, nothing magical happens. Alex stands there alone, wondering endlessly why Henry isn’t there. Eventually, June finds him and brings him back inside. January in Vermont is quite cold. 

When they get back to their room, Alex doesn’t quite feel as tired as he’d expect. In some respects, he’s  _ exhausted,  _ but he doesn’t think he’ll be able to sleep. So he packs up his things, the reminders of the weeks he’s been there, of his departure tomorrow morning. He grabs his wool scarf and holds it in his hand, flashing back to Henry pulling him in by his scarf to kiss him. 

Rolling his eyes, Alex throws it in his suitcase. 

There’s a part of him — though he won’t tell June or Nora — that is afraid he’ll continue to get this frosty reception from Henry even after he’s back. While he’s not moving there  _ for  _ Henry, he knows that Henry is a part of why he wants to move there, of why he felt happy in Snow’s Landing. The idea of being here and having Henry shut him out is a bit terrifying. 

_ I thought jumping off of cliffs was your thing,  _ he hears June say. This is one of his biggest cliffs yet and he’s determined to stick the landing. 

The next morning, Alex walks out into the hall, his suitcase being dragged behind him. Nora and June are ahead of him. He freezes at the top of the stairs, his eyes going to Henry’s room. It would be so easy for him to run down there and bang on the door until Henry answers and pour everything he’s feeling onto him. 

“You could go talk to him,” June says. 

Alex tears his eyes away and looks at her. “It’s fine,” he says with a shake of his head, walking past her on the stairs. June sighs and follows him. 

The two girls chat the whole walk to the train station. Alex listens half-heartedly, his mind — unsurprisingly — still on Henry. He starts to wonder what the hell he used to think about before he met Henry. What used to occupy his mind? He can’t really recall. 

Alex hugs June tightly before they get on the train and promises to be back soon. He doesn’t have an official move date, but he doesn’t really want to drag his feet too much. Respectfully, he looks away as Nora and June say goodbye. Unless Nora makes frequent trips to Snow’s Landing, they’ll be seeing significantly less of each other. Of course, June still has to get the rest of her stuff from their old apartment, but Nora insists there’s no rush. Alex wonders if she likes holding a part of June in New York. 

Nora sits and watches Alex pack. It’s been a big week in New York since he’s been back. He officially quit his job and gave notice at his apartment. He’ll have a month to get all of his stuff out of his studio. Sure, he doesn’t think he’ll need all that time, but it’s nice to have. 

There are boxes scattered around his living space, making the place look a bit like a disaster. But moving always looks that way, so he doesn’t feel too bad about it. 

Shockingly, it’s basically silent in his apartment. Nora isn’t saying anything and Alex isn’t talking as he throws stuff in boxes, leaving it to his future self to sort out. He’s trying to wrap his mind a bit around the shocking move he’s making, but he’s also excited about it. Sadly, the excitement is falling a bit behind his anxiety about it all. 

“You doing okay?” Alex nods. “Are you sure? Because you look kind of miserable.” 

He looks up at Nora and shrugs before creating another box. “I’m fine.” 

“You’re doing this because you want to be happy, right?” 

“Of course. You’re the one who first put the thought in my head. I think you know why.” 

“Sure, but if you’re going to be happy there, why do you look so off?”

“It’s still a big change.” 

Nora gets a mischievous look in her eye and suddenly starts singing, “ _ If it makes you happy, it can’t be that ba-a-a-a-ad. If it makes you happy, then why the hell are you so _ …” She cuts off there. 

“I’m not  _ sad.  _ And thanks for ruining that Sheryl Crow song for me.” 

She laughs. “I’m shocked you know it’s Sheryl Crow.” 

Alex shrugs, not meeting her eye. “June went through a phase.” 

“Sure she did.” There’s a long stretch of silence where Nora lets him pack. “You kind of seem sad. Is it because of Henry?” 

Alex glares at her. She drops it. Getting up from her seat, Nora packs one box for him before leaving for the night with a long hug. He promises to meet her for dinner the next night and sends her on her way. 

When she’s gone, he throws himself down in his chair and sighs. Nora isn’t wrong. He does seem sad. It’s largely because he doesn’t know what to expect when he arrives back in Snow’s Landing. He’d be kidding himself if he said he didn’t want to be with Henry. The idea of being there and likely seeing him all the time — it’s not that big a town — without being with him sounds straight up awful. 

He’s allowing himself a short break before he gets back to packing. As he scrolls through his phone, there’s a knock at the door. There’s a chance it’s Nora, and if it is, this is just a warning knock before she lets herself in. If it’s not Nora, then Alex doesn’t need to answer it. 

There’s a second knock. Alex stays where he is. 

When the third knock sounds more urgent, he finally gets up. 

“What?” he yells as he opens the door, a bit irritated by this stranger. Instead of a stranger, a very startled Henry stares back at him. Alex is floored, his mouth hanging open slightly as he takes in the sight of Henry standing on his doorstep. “Henry?” 

“Hi,” he says in a small voice. 

“What are you doing here?” 

He takes a deep breath before answering. Alex doesn’t want to feel almost charmed by his nerves, but he hasn’t really been able to control the way Henry makes him feel. “Look, I...I wanted to apologize. I acted like a total fool.” 

Alex nods, unsure how to respond to that. He certainly agrees. Instead of replying, he just lets Henry continue. 

“I’m sorry for blowing you off and avoiding you. It was an incredibly immature way of dealing with all the things I was feeling. Everything was so bloody easy and... _ good _ between us. And then I just shut you out and I feel terrible about it.” 

“Then why did you?” 

“Well, Nora showed up and —”

Alex gapes at him. “You don’t like Nora?” 

“No, no, no. Nora’s lovely. She’s great. But she showed up and it just reminded me that you’re not from Snow’s Landing.” 

“You’re not really from Snow’s Landing.” Henry gives him an imploring look and Alex shuts up, gesturing for him to continue. “Sorry, go on.” 

“It just reminded me that we were on borrowed time, that the weeks we’d spent together were almost over because you’d be coming back here. And instead of spending as much time with you as I could, I shut myself off and kept away from you, wondering how it could even work. Which was stupid, I should have just talked to you. The thing is, it all felt too soon, you know?” 

Alex nods. Of course he knows. 

“So I didn’t want to admit that you were leaving and I didn’t want to admit what I was feeling and somehow that translated to me spending a ton of time on my own, trying to decide the best option for me and ignoring the fact that all I wanted to do was spend my time with you.

“I kept thinking that I had to make a choice. Snow’s Landing has felt like a haven to me, has helped me feel at home and comfortable. It felt peaceful there. And then you showed up and you insulted me and spent time with me and made me break out of my carefully crafted shell and I felt the most myself that I had in  _ ages.  _ And so I kept feeling like I had to choose. Do I choose the place where I feel at home and centered or do I choose the person who — no matter how insanely soon this conversation is happening — makes me feel alive and happy?” 

Alex takes a deep breath, never having imagined Henry saying all these things, somehow the same things he’s been feeling. 

Henry runs a hand through his hair, looking down at his feet. “I was trying to rationalize everything to myself and then before I knew it, the clock had run out on my time and you were gone and it didn’t matter what choice I made. But I begged your sister for your address so I could come here and tell you everything I should have days ago.” His eyes are still downcast, perhaps scared of Alex’s reaction. 

Alex ducks slightly, trying to catch his gaze. “What if you didn’t have to choose?” 

Henry’s head picks up as he stares at Alex with a confused expression. “What do you mean?” 

With an elbow to the door, it opens behind him, showing the mess of boxes in his apartment. Henry stares past him. Alex tries not to laugh when his jaw drops open slightly. “Alex, what is this?” 

“I quit my job,” he starts. Henry gapes at him. “And I have a meeting with Carol for early February to look at housing options. I can’t live in a damn hotel like you guys. Uh, let’s see, what else? June hosted a less than casual lunch with me and John Ryder and I’m going to call him once I’m back. And —” 

“Wait, are you serious?” Alex nods, looking around at all the boxes behind him. “What made you decide to do this?” There’s hope and fear in Henry’s voice, Alex can hear it. 

“Well, first, I finally had a talk with June. She admitted to me that she moved there and had been avoiding telling me.” 

Henry cringes, his eyes closing. “I’m sorry. She swore me to secrecy.” 

Alex shakes his head, grinning. “It’s fine. I’d have been  _ pissed  _ if I’d have heard it from you anyway. But I also just started dreading leaving the place.” Alex twists his hands together and turns away from Henry, walking over toward the window. “Do you remember what you told me about when you got to Snow’s Landing and everything felt calm and slow enough for you to just be?” He glances over his shoulder to see Henry nod. “That’s how you make me feel,” he says in a small voice. 

Turning around he feels almost bowled over by the look on Henry’s face. “My mind goes a million miles an hour and I’m always thinking and doing and I can never fucking sit still. And nothing has ever been able to calm me down or make my mind  _ quiet  _ until I met you. And that feels...significant. I didn’t really want to lose that. Or you.” He sighs and carries on, rearranging some things in a box to distract himself from bearing his soul. “I kept trying to talk to you about things that last week.” 

“I know. I’m sorry, Alex, truly. I feel awful.” 

He looks over at Henry. “It’s okay. I get it. And you’re here, so…” 

Henry steps toward him and he steps toward Henry and they meet in the middle, not touching each other, but close. Taking a deep breath, Henry reaches out and cups Alex’s face. “I’m crazy about you, Alex.” 

He grins in reply, letting his hands fall to Henry’s waist, pulling him in closer. “That’s convenient, because I am too. About you — obviously.” 

Henry laughs before pulling him in for a deep kiss. It feels like coming home. Alex holds him tight and kisses him with all the desperation he’s been feeling since the last time he talked to him. They kiss for an amount of time he doesn’t care to count, both relieved and happy to be together again. 

“You know,” Henry says as he pulls away, “once you’re back in Snow’s Landing, I’d like to take you out on a proper date.” 

“Define a proper date.” 

“Not at the diner,” Henry says with a laugh. 

“Don’t tell Roberta that. She’ll be wounded.” He kisses Henry quickly. “But also, we don’t necessarily have to wait until then. I mean, New York has a lot of restaurants that aren’t diners.” 

A wide grin spreads across Henry’s face as he leans in again. “I like the way you think.” He kisses Alex slowly, unhurriedly. For once, they’re not on borrowed time. Alex kinda can’t wait to just  _ take his time  _ with Henry. 

“It’ll probably be better for you if I have a job there this time,” Alex says, a grin on his face as he pulls back. 

Henry frowns. “Why’s that?” 

“Your writing time won’t be snatched away by some handsome man who just wants to spend time with you,” he teases. 

With a roll of his eyes, Henry says, “You may be right about that. Why do you think I was so rude to you the first time I saw you? Some handsome stranger sits down  _ next to me _ and I’m supposed to focus? Fat chance of that. Of course, it was just worse having you sit directly across from me. I just kept staring at you.” 

“Mm, I recall.” 

Henry gives him an annoyed look, but there’s no heat behind it as he pulls Alex in again, kissing him, nipping at his lip, and clutching him closer. 

“When do you have to be back in Snow’s Landing?” Alex asks as Henry kisses his jaw. He runs his fingers through Henry’s hair, sighing at the familiar feeling. 

“I booked an open ended ticket. I didn’t know how much groveling I’d have to do.” 

Alex laughs, pulling back and looking at Henry. “Oh my god, did I give in too easily? Should I have made you grovel?” 

“Shut up,” Henry says, pulling him back in and kissing him. Alex grins against his lips. 

“So, what you’re saying,” Alex tries again, “is that you could stay here with me — notably away from my sister — while I pack up my life?” 

“I think I could manage that. If you’ll have me.” 

Alex raises an eyebrow, looking Henry up and down pointedly. “Oh I’ll have you.” Henry laughs loudly, kissing him quickly. “But also, we could go do New York things. I believe the Rockefeller Center rink is open til mid-January. We could always go.” 

“Why on earth would you want to go skating again when you were so awful the first time? Do you think you’re magically better?” 

Running a hand slowly up Henry’s arm, Alex shrugs. “I don’t know. If I fall, I can just hang all over you. Get myself all up on you.” 

“I  _ knew  _ it!” Henry cries with a large grin. 

Alex stares at Henry. In this moment, standing in the middle of a million boxes, a slightly unknown future ahead of him, he’s the happiest he thinks he’s ever been. He pulls Henry in close and just hugs him, his arms wrapped tight around his waist. One of Henry’s arms closes around him, the other snaking up to run his hands through Alex’s curls. It’s as easy as everything always is with him. Easy and reassuring, a steady presence. 

“I’m so happy you’re here,” he whispers. 

Henry holds him tighter. “I’m sorry it took me some time. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.” 

Alex decides the comment rings true for him as well, particularly at this exact moment. He’s always been the type to plan ten years in the future and barrel down that path. But as he stares up at Henry, he realizes he never could have planned for him. And somehow that makes it even better. He kisses Henry softly, already giddy with the thought of the year ahead. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I appreciate all of you who read and commented and left kudos! I hope my snowflake enjoyed this as well! :)

**Author's Note:**

> Come join our server! It's a great time! [RWRB Discord Server: A Grey Area](https://discord.gg/JwardtVJRV)


End file.
